Chinese For Two
by SpiritualEnergy
Summary: Loneliness has settled upon Hilary now that she has moved out and is in college. Christmas is here, and it only makes her feel even more empty. Can a certain phoenix blader cheer her up? [Kai & Hilary]
1. Part: I

**Title: **_Chinese For Two_  
**Pairing/Characters: **Kai/Hilary  
**Rating: **T  
**Disclaimer: **Beyblade © Aoki Takao-sama

* * *

**Chinese For Two**

**Part: I**

**

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**"Yes, Mr. Chang, an order of egg rolls and rice for one, please. No…only one, thank you." I gently place the phone back on its cradle. The apartment radiates no sound as I look around at the quant little home I had created since the G Revolutions separated.

It had been after the fourth World Championships when everyone had left to go back to their old team, deciding they each didn't want any strings to hold them back from their own shot at winning the title of Champion.

Max went back home to America to work with his mom, Judy, and the rest of the All Starz. Out of all the members of the team, Max had always been the optimistic one. Always had a smile on his face, and would always seem cheerful. I thought he would have stayed with us, but I guess even Max wanted his chance at the title. He sends me letters asking how Tyson and everyone else are doing. He might know if he had stayed…that's a little selfish to think that way, but at this point in time, I don't think I care. We were a family and then it just fell apart.

Rei went home to his village in China to train and to teach kids how to blade with the rest of the White Tiger X. I think that a certain pink-haired neko-jin might also be another reason why he went back. Mariah and I had become good friends over the tournaments and would sometime write to me about how they're doing and everything. Sometimes I wish Mariah was here so I could talk to her, face to face.

Daichi went back home to train. Before he left, he said that when he came back, he would beat Tyson without a doubt. After he left, Tyson didn't have anyone to pester him for a Beybattle anymore, and I guess he kind of deflated after that. Daichi was usually the one who kept Tyson on his toes, and when he left I guess it was back to just me and the Chief.

Kai is a tough one to call. He usually just ups and leaves to who knows where, and then usually pops back in whenever he feels good and ready to show himself. If you wanted me to guess then I would probably say somewhere to train where nobody is there to bother him. He's the only one out of us all that never bothers to contact us.

Tyson, I'm sure you might already know, was devastated. I hated watching him go on acting so bitter. I think Kai was the spark that kind of held him together, his rival. When he left, that spark just seemed to fade. There would be times where he would snap at us for nothing, at least by what I could see, and then there were those times where he would barely talk to us at all. I couldn't really blame him, he was angry and so was I. Our friends had left. And for what? A title.

The more I think about it the more I want to break something. All of my school life I was known as The Wicked Witch of the Eighth Grade. When I had first met Tyson and was introduced to the world of Beyblading, I thought it was the stupidest thing in the world. But the more time I spent with the boys and the more I watched them blade, I guess you could say I took on a certain love for the sport.

After a few months, Tyson's anger decreased until he was finally able to accept it. That doesn't stop him from being bitter. He still is, you can tell when you see him talk about old times which he seems to be doing a lot. He gets a sort of sad, choked up tone and his eyes seem to harden in pain. For the first time I think Kenny was left without any ideas with what to do. We could only watch as Tyson let his anger and frustration out until there was nothing left except a certain bitterness that came after it.

With a small sigh, I fall back onto the couch that sits in the middle of the tiny living room. The plain white walls are bare, except for the few pictures that were hung here and there. Christmas would be here soon, and now our break is finally here. I wanted to be a little closer to campus and this seemed like a pretty good place to be. Tyson and Kenny are there too.

Kenny majors in Engineering. That's not a surprise. We always knew he was going to be some type of scientist one day, since he was always was the technical one who came up with new strategies for the team.

Tyson majors in Phys Ed. He seems pretty happy with it, seeing as it has to do more with sports than anything else, not to mention he doesn't have to do as much math as in high-school.

I major in Political Science. Everyone tells me I love to argue, so what's better than to study to become a lawyer? The hours are kinda crazy though…sometimes I get home in the middle of the night from working on assignments my professors give.

When's that food going to get here? It's becoming a habit to just order Chinese from Chang's Restaurant instead of cooking something big like pasta or chicken. It's fast delivery, it's quick to eat and it tastes good.

I turn my head over to my desk in the corner of the room, and feel like I could just cry! Books pile the desk; some stacks are as tall as I am! Unfinished assignments are spread across the floor, along with my laptop which is just kind of sitting with the mess.

I sigh. I forgot about those; I gotta get this stuff finished before the break ends and my professor nails me with a failing grade. I get up from my lying position on the couch and pick up my mess from off the floor. Can't really do too much about the books; guess I'll work that out later. I pick up my closed laptop that Kenny had gotten me as a present for school, and place it down on my bed. I look at one of the papers and I cringe.

_Review of International Laws Relating to World Trade_

Oh. This was going to take longer than I thought. Maybe I should have thought twice before I took on this major?

I throw the papers to the ground when I heard a knock at my door. I'll worry about the assignments after I get some _food. _I fly to the door and could have probably broken it off the hinges if it weren't for that stupid pillow I stumbled over. I open the door and smile broadly at the boy; he carried the food in his arms until he handed them to me, which I took happily.

"Enjoy the food and order again," he said after I had paid him. Oh, don't worry, I will. I shut the door and go back to sit on my bed with my dinner. I open the carton and am met with the heavenly fragrance of rice and meat as it reaches my nostrils. Chinese has become a sort of life line since I've went to college. I eat it every time I have a big assignment when I can't be bothered to cook. Oh wait, I always have some sort of assignment…so, then basically I eat it every night.

I take the chopsticks into my hands and practically jump into the carton. Hey, I didn't eat anything today and I just got back from class. I can't help but be hungry at twelve o'clock in the morning.

After I finished, I threw my trash into the waste basket and lay back on the bed, the papers rustling loudly from under me. No way am I going to even look at those papers tonight after I just ate.

I can work on these tomorrow; school has gotten out for break so I should be able to get them done. Soon. Quickly. Eventually.

I set my alarm for 8:00 AM. I'm going over to Tyson's tomorrow, we're planning on a little Christmas party, and we're supposed to be working on it tomorrow. I wish everyone else could be there.

I lie back down on my bed and look up at the ceiling. It's nice to have a place for myself, but it's lonely. I, Tatibana Hilary, am lonely. I know - sounds really childish. But I still have Tyson and Chief, and I have Mariah. Okay - so maybe I don't see them as much as I used to. I only see Tyson and Kenny when we pass each other in the halls while going to class, and the only thing we can really do is pass each other our quick hello and wave before we scurry away to class. And I don't see Mariah except for when we're at tournaments and other things that make our paths cross. But, how can that be now when there won't be another tournament? No more G Revolutions, no more team, no more tournaments, no more old times.

I can feel my eyes burning, and quickly wipe at my face with my sleeve.

Maybe I should tell one of the guys? No, they would just think I'm being ridiculous. I mean, c'mon, an eighteen year old girl in college, lonely? They would probably just wave it off as me being afraid to live on my own, while giving me a pat on the back as if it would solve all problems. Maybe I am a little afraid to be off on my own…but then again, who wouldn't? Tyson and Kenny are close enough to the school to live in their old houses, so they really don't have to worry about finding a place quite yet.

Well, at least I finally get a chance to talk and hang out with them for more than just five seconds.

Light snow begins to fall from outside my window. I was hoping for snow; this should be a nice Christmas. Maybe we can make snow men and have some hot cocoa.

Man, I think the day is catching up with me. I yawn while getting under my covers, not even bothering to move the papers. I watch the snow fall outside for awhile, before night slips by without my knowledge.


	2. Part: II

**Title: **_Chinese For Two_  
**Pairing/Characters: **Kai/Hilary  
**Rating: **T  
**Disclaimer: **Beyblade © Aoki Takao-sama

* * *

**Chinese For Two**

**Part: II**

**

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**Hilary pulled her thick blue coat over her trembling form, seeking warmth from the freezing wind. It was so cold this morning that her teeth chattered as she walked down the sidewalk, heading for the dojo. It wasn't _that_ far away, but on a morning like this, it might as well have been miles away.

She trudged on, and took note of the fact that it was early. Around 7:45 - she might be late. Her breath came out as smoke as she exhaled deeply, pulling the coat over her that much more.

She vaguely wondered what it would be like if the others could come to their little party. Of course she knew that little wish wouldn't happen - everyone had separate lives now.

Separate lives. Separate lives that didn't include each other. She had to stop thinking about it and be happy. It was Christmas time for goodness sake, and she was determined.

_Be happy! Be happy! _Hilary chanted in her mind. She tried making her lips form a smile which only seemed to turn into a lopsided grin. She decided that constipation wasn't the look she was going for.

Hilary gave a sigh, giving up in her ministrations. She was happy! She didn't need to constantly smile. Just because she wasn't smiling _now_ didn't mean she wasn't happy.

She was happy - she had a good school to go to, a bright future, friends, a nice apartment…where she lived alone…all by herself…

Okay, maybe _happy _wasn't exactly the best word to use. But she was doing fine - she wasn't dead yet, so that must count for something.

Right…she was…fine.

She pulled some loose strands of chestnut brown hair behind her ear, which had fallen in her face as if wanting to get her attention.

She blinked as she looked in front of her. It was the dojo. Her ruby eyes scanned the place; it looked like a winter wonderland with all the heaps of snow that covered the ground and roof. Ice sickles were hanging off the edge of the roof, shimmering as the morning sun hit them.

It was like she was home again. Hilary would always hang out with the boys - it almost seemed like it _was _her home. A home…it really was a home, wasn't it? The Bladebreakers always seemed like family. They were always there for both her, and each other. The dojo was just always the place they chose to be.

Yeah. It was home.

With that last realization in mind, and with some now renewed cheeriness, Hilary practically marched up the walkway of the dojo. She remembered…she would always come early each morning with Kenny, they would always be let right in; like it was their own home.

She came up to the shoji door that went into the living room. Taking a deep breath, she slid the door open, only to hear…

Silence?

She raised her eyebrows at the eerie quietness that lingered throughout the whole house. They had to be there…they had made special plans just so that they could spend time with each other. She opened the door further and hesitantly walked inside, almost as if afraid that something would jump out at her.

Who knew? When it came to Tyson's dojo, anything could happen.

"Tyson? Kenny?" she called out into the hallway that lead to the other rooms. Still, no sound came back to her as she watched in confusion while she stood there. Her gaze dropped to the floor as she suddenly had second thoughts about this little visit. She didn't know why, but she felt strangely stupid at the moment.

Shaking the thoughts away, she slowly walked out so that she came into the training room where Grandpa practiced his kendo. She walked in; it looked exactly the same as it always had been.

Clean, shiny floors, sturdy walls, wooden kendo swords, Mariah…

"Hey, Hilary!" The neko-jin called out to her friend.

Hilary looked towards her and waved before passing right by her, "Hey, Mariah!" Then she stopped and blinked - what?

Hilary stumbled backwards as she noticed that it was in fact Mariah, who was sitting down on one of the mats that were from the living room.

Mariah smiled at the wide-eyed Hilary, feeling a sense of excitement. "I was getting worried for a second there! You passed right by me!" she exclaimed before laughing at Hilary, who blinked in response.

Mariah put her hands on her hips, obviously a little annoyed at her friend's actions. With a tilt of her head, and a raised eyebrow, Mariah finally voiced the statement she was thinking, "Do _something, _Hilary."

As if finally realizing what was going on, Hilary snapped out of her stupor only to run up to her friend, squishing her to death in a hug.

"I missed you!" Mariah cried, hugging the brunette back.

Hilary pulled away from the embrace and looked into her friend's face. She looked the same as she'd always been. Pink clothes, golden eyes. Her hair may have grown a little longer, but it never changed the pinkness of it that made her Mariah.

But why was she here? Shouldn't she be in China with Rei and the rest of the White Tigers? Did she miss something?

Hilary looked into her friend's excited face with a curious look as Mariah gave her a raised eyebrow, almost as if she was confused.

Yeah, she missed something.

"What's wrong?" The neko-jin asked her friend, concerned.

"Uh…why are you here?" She wasn't getting anywhere with staring. Mariah tilted her head to the side with a blink. Her smile shifted to a light frown.

"What do you mean by _that_? Didn't Tyson and Kenny tell you?" She put her hands to her side in surprise as Hilary just shook her head in a negative answer. The pink-haired neko-jin looked at her with wide golden eyes; this was going to be _very _interesting.

"What's going on, Mariah? What were Tyson and Kenny going to tell me?" Hilary gave her friend another bewildered look.

"Uh…everyone's here for Christmas."

The brunette turned around swiftly, surprised by the sudden voice. Standing before her was Tyson, Kenny right behind him. Tyson was rubbing the back of his head, looking nervous. Kenny stood behind the dragon master, looking like a deer caught in a headlight. They both stood there, silent as can be, waiting for her response.

Hilary stared at them, her ruby eyes glazed in silent contemplation. Mariah…? Christmas…? Everyone…?

Finally their words sunk in.

"You mean to tell me that you invited everyone over only to forget to let me know about it!" Hilary yelled out to the two boys in front of her. She was mad. She was very mad. She was beyond mad at her two friends, who she knew she was going to blow up at.

The two boys looked away, the feeling of shame coming over them.

They weren't clueless to Hilary's loneliness. They knew that she wasn't truly happy the way she was living now. She may not have said what was plaguing her, but the look in her eyes - it was kind of hard to miss. If you listened closely to the way she talked, you could hear the dullness as she spoke about school or other such matters.

They also knew that she would never just come right out and say she was unhappy. Hilary was a stubborn person - no arguments there - and she wouldn't want sympathy from them, and she wouldn't appreciate it. So, they wouldn't say anything for the time being. But, with the way she looked at them and the way she would drift off into her own thoughts, it was almost as if she were silently asking them to change their minds.

Even if she wasn't aware of it herself.

Mariah watched with a shake of her head as the brunette gave the two boys a tongue lashing. She noticed they weren't really _listening_ to her though. It was almost as if they were in their own little world, thinking about whatever little thoughts were popping up into their heads…

Anyone got any passports to La-La Land?

She glanced up as she heard the door slide open, not being heard by the other three because of the brunette's sharp words.

Mariah gave a quirky smile to her boyfriend as he looked at her with confused eyes. He raised an eyebrow at the three people before him before his gaze finally rested on his girlfriend once again. What'd he miss?

The pink-haired girl shook her head lightly, the pink strands of hair falling loosely in her face before she walked over to him, taking his hand in hers.

Rei smiled at the girl as he intertwined their fingers together. "What happened?" he asked quietly, feeling a strange sense of caution run through him at the sight of Tyson and Kenny's faces as they looked down at the floor, seeming to be caught up in their thoughts.

"Tyson and Kenny didn't tell Hilary that everyone was coming," Mariah muttered quietly, still looking at her friends.

Rei's brow furrowed. "How could they forget something like that? Kenny at least should've remembered…"

Mariah nodded. She agreed with that. If anything, she thought that Kenny would've been the one to talk to when it came to such things. But even he forgot…

What were they doing, to forget something like that? They would've undoubtedly remembered unless it was something that acquired a great deal of attention - she'd have to question them on this subject later.

"So I don't understand how you could've forgotten to tell me that the team was going to be here when you guys knew it was a big thing! It's not like we see them everyday, and when it just slips your minds! I just don't get it…" Hilary finished with a huff. She knew she was over-reacting a little about this, but how could they just forget? Had they even thought about her when they had found out the others were staying?

She felt tears burn in her ruby eyes, but blinked them away. She was fine - nothing to cry about - just like she told herself before. She was just fine.

Tyson and Kenny finally looked up towards the brunette in front of them. She looked like she was trying to decide on something, but wasn't having any luck in doing so.

"We're sorry, Hil, we really are. We never meant to hurt you, honest," Tyson said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Kenny nodded in agreement as he stood next to the World Champion.

Hilary shrugged his shoulder off. "Y-you didn't hurt me…you just really upset me that you would forget about something like that…" she stuttered out, before walking over to the back door where Rei and Mariah still stood.

She looked up at him with her ruby orbs, tried to smile, succeeding in forming a sloppy, lopsided grin as she had earlier, "Hey, Rei, great to see you again," Hilary said before she disappeared through the door, shutting it behind her.

But Rei had seen.

They _had _hurt her.


	3. Part: III

**Title: **_Chinese For Two_  
**Pairing/Characters: **Kai/Hilary  
**Rating: **T  
**Disclaimer: **Beyblade © Aoki Takao-sama

* * *

**Chinese For Two**

**Part: III**

**

* * *

**Mistakes.

We all make them. Nobody's perfect - simple as that. There are times when you get things right, and times when you get things wrong. When we're wrong, of course we want to fix our mistakes; erase them and then write the answer over again as if the previous one was never even there to begin with.

But, even with erasers there are stains that linger on the paper. Once a mistake is made, it can't be taken back again.

Tyson understood this. If he could erase his mistake of not talking to Hilary sooner, he would do it without a second thought. He would take that little pink eraser and rub it across his paper until there was nothing left but the eraser shavings. But he couldn't do that. Life didn't come with erasers. You get one sheet of paper - either make the grade, or fail.

Tyson sure knew what his grade was.

Kenny stood next to Tyson quietly, seeming caught up in his own thoughts just as Tyson was.

He was always the one to answer problems, or to help with strategies. Kenny was the man with the mathematical smarts, and never in his calculations had he seen the equation that would give him such an answer. The boy was unable to help this time, and he was unable to find the solution of the problem.

The young man had always made up for his lack of skills in Beyblading - he felt the waves of disappointment wash over him as he realized his field of knowledge couldn't make up for it this time around.

"So…" Rei's voice cut through his train of thought, making both boys look up to see Rei and Mariah's concerned faces. Did they know about Hilary's current problem? Probably not. He'd be surprised if they did, seeing as they were gone the whole time.

Tyson clenched his fist tightly at his side. Gone the whole time.

A silence hung over them as they just stood there for what seemed like forever to them. Tyson stared down at the ground, unable to meet his friend's gaze. He didn't feel like talking about it right now.

"Tyson…"

"Nothing. I don't want to talk about it," he cut the neko-jin off, pushing past the Chinese boy and headed out the door. He still had that Christmas tree to get.

Rei watched him before remembering he was going to help the blunette as well, and was just outside helping with the lights before he came in to see… that event.

"Wait up!" Rei called after him, jogging towards the blunette, since he was already outside and almost completely out of the yard.

Tyson wasn't avoiding him that easily.

* * *

Hilary stood solemnly as she watched the light snow cover the ground. The pond that had always been there was now frozen; the small stones surrounding it looked like huge piles of snow, each one of them completely white. 

She yelped when she felt something hit her head none too gently. Rubbing her now sore head, she glanced down to see that it was a tangle of Christmas lights. She raised an eyebrow, before looking up as she heard a loud curse, followed by a light chuckle.

"Drat! Max, get those for me, would ya?" Hilary recognized the voice. Daichi.

"Sure!" Hilary turned her gaze down until it rested on the blond, who was standing next to a ladder, gripping it tightly so that Daichi wouldn't topple over and break his neck. Max carefully released the wooden ladder as if he were afraid it would fall over. He turned her way, which was where the lights had fallen, and just noticed that she was standing there as his ocean blue stare caught hers.

His grin widened as he looked at her. "Hilary!" he yelled excitedly while running over to her, completely forgetting about Daichi and the ladder as he embraced the brunette in a hug.

Hilary wrapped her arms around the blond, holding him gently as she rested her head against his shoulder, breathing in his light scent that had always calmed her down. Max was always in a happy mood - it made her feel better to be around him when she needed comfort. She was happy he was so enthusiastic. She really needed a hug from someone.

Max's eyebrows furrowed as he looked down at the brunette. She buried her head in his chest almost as if she was trying to hide from him. He had always given hugs to Hilary when they were younger. She had never seemed so tense before now, and Max couldn't identify what his feelings and thoughts were right then.

"Ah! Max! Would you hurry up! This stupid ladder is wobbling!" Daichi bellowed as he held onto the ladder as if his life depended on it. He really didn't want a fractured skull.

Hilary let go of the blond as he stumbled over to grab hold of the ladder. He sighed in relief as he caught it just in time. "That was close," Max commented.

"No, _really_!" Daichi yelled, still gripping the ladder in his shaking hands. "Do you have those lights or what, Max?" Daichi asked irritably, looking over his shoulder slightly to get a glimpse of the boy below him.

Max looked over towards Hilary who was just standing there staring back, not sure what she should do.

"Do you mind carrying those over here?" Max asked sheepishly. Hilary nodded, before bending down and picking up the fallen lights, bringing them over to the blond who took them gratefully before handing them up to Daichi, who seemed nervous about the idea of letting go for even a second. After that experience, he didn't trust the ladder at all.

Hilary stared up at then lights that were currently being hung up. They were a mixture of reds and greens - the colors of Christmas. She noticed that it was beginning to get dark as dusk rode in like a blanket had been draped over the sun, only leaving a flicker to remain.

"Okay, I'm coming down!" Daichi called out loudly. He slid down carefully until his feet finally reached the bottom. He looked up at his work and gave a huge triumphant grin.

Hilary looked down at the grinning boy and couldn't help but grin herself. He looked the same as when she last saw him - he still had those ripped up jeans despite the cold, and the scar on his forehead was still there. The wild flaming red hair still adorned his head as well as those green eyes that always held the look of mischief in them. It was the same Daichi.

Bringing a hand up, she ruffled the boy's hair, causing him to yell out in protest as he swiped at her hands. She ignored his shouts, instead pulling him closer until they were in a one-armed hug.

The scowl disappeared from the redheads face as he felt the brunette latch onto him unexpectedly. He wondered what was wrong with her, and couldn't help but feel awkward as he stood there, accepting the affection she was giving him despite his lack of understanding.

Just when he was about to say something, though, Hilary pulled away, putting on a grin while looking at the perplexed redhead in front of her.

"It's great to see you, Daichi!" she chirped, before looking over towards Max, who was staring at her strangely.

"So!" Hilary said, pulling at her jacket sleeve. He looked at the brunette carefully, before giving a shake of his head - she seemed fine now.

"Where's Kai?" Hilary asked curiously, while eyeing the blond.

"He's over there trying to perfect his tough guy facial expressions," Daichi commented dryly while pointing over to the porch. Hilary's ruby gaze followed to where he was pointing, and then widened in surprise as she made out a form sitting down cross-legged. His arms were crossed against his chest, his eyes closed as if he were in very deep thought. His scarf draped around him elegantly as the light wind waved it to and fro. The dark blue triangles painted on his face were immensely contrasting against his skin, making it look almost as pale as snow.

Kai…

He had been so quiet that she hadn't even realized he was there. He looked the same as before - yet not. He still had that unruly hair and his blue triangles, not to mention the same scarf and baggy clothes. But he just seemed…older, in a way. More mature - she couldn't really describe it, but she knew that something had changed.

"Hey, Kai," Hilary called to him over towards the porch. Kai opened his eyes, revealing the same mahogany color that had always been there.

"Hn," he responded. All of a sudden, he stood up, walking towards her slowly until he was standing right in front of the brunette, looking down at her with those deep mahogany eyes of his.

And then she realized how he matured. She barely reached his shoulders, and it was very evident he had grown taller over the past year! She almost felt intimidated by his height, as he towered over her like he was doing now - okay, she _was _intimidated - but she knew she shouldn't be. It was only Kai - they had been friends since they were fourteen. He was that same boy that given her a chance, to let her show them that she could be of use, and not just the annoying pain in the neck they had first thought her as. That same boy that protected her from the rockslide on the island when they had been stranded. That same boy who she had actually developed a small school-girlish crush on as she spent more time with the Bladebreakers.

Only, he wasn't a boy anymore - no - he was a man now. A big, strong, tall man that was towering over her like the Empire State Building. With these continuous thoughts running through her mind, and with each second ticking by as she continued to look up at him, she couldn't help but feel the need to step away.

So that's what she did. Hilary took a few steps back, still keeping her gaze locked with the duel-haired man's. He showed no sign of acknowledging this move; he only watched as she moved further and further away from him, his sharp features forever etched into his face.

And then, his eyes seemed to glint with something she couldn't identify, and it passed as soon as it had come.

She shivered slightly, suddenly feeling very cold. She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by the sound of Mariah's voice.

"Hey, Hilary! C'mere for a second!" The pink-haired girl called out to her from the doorway.

Hilary glanced back at Kai, whose jaw seemed to clench. "Great to see you again, Kai! Bye!" she said quickly, before rushing away from the three boys, moving over to where her friend was awaiting her.

Hilary wasn't sure what she wanted, but whatever it was, it sure saved her from whatever situation was brewing just those few moments ago.

* * *

Rei watched the blunette run around the store, looking at all the different trees that they had to offer. They had come to the department outside where they kept all the trees for Christmas, so that they wouldn't have to be trudged out of the front door. 

Tyson continued to run around, pointing at random trees. He was avoiding him, he knew. And to put it simply, it was beginning to get on Rei's last nerve. It was annoying when Rei tried asking him a question, only for the blunette to interrupt him again by yelling out, "Ooooh! That one looks good!"

Rei sighed as the dragon avatar ran around, almost looking like a child trying to find his mother in a big store.

"Hey, Rei, what about this one!" Tyson called over to him, pointing at an exceptionally large tree that was about three times bigger than him. It was a nice tree, but Rei was yet to be swayed from the annoyance that continued to eat away at him.

Pushing down his frustrations, Rei stated in a calm manner, "It's great Tyson, but I really-"

"Great! Let's get this one!" Again with the interruptions! Rei felt his nerves edging to their snapping point. He was usually calm in such situations, but Tyson was making things so difficult. It almost felt like he didn't trust him…but then again, it had been awhile since they had seen each other like this. Perhaps the blunette felt slightly insecure about him. The more he contemplated these thoughts, the more they seemed to make sense. A pang of guilt stabbed him, before he shook his head. He hadn't done anything wrong, and Tyson knew that.

He had missed something. While he was gone, something had taken place between the three friends. Hilary seemed so upset with Kenny and Tyson…and Tyson didn't want to tell him. Was it because the blunette no longer held as must trust in him as before?

He needed answers. No matter what, they were always his friends, no matter how much the dragon tried to avoid him, he would always remember the promise Tyson had made to him - the promise he had made to himself. He knew Tyson still thought of him as a friend; the blunette would never just cut him off as a name in the address book. But it certainly wasn't helping when the dragon wouldn't let him in.

Rei sighed once again, finally regaining his composure as Tyson came back from paying for the tree. "Tyson."

The blunette went tense as he heard his name. There was no escaping the neko-jin now, with no shopping left to do; he couldn't inch away from him. He knew that Rei would ask him about earlier, and he just didn't want to talk about it. He was ashamed, he admitted, but if Rei was about to look down on him with disappointment, he would take it like a Champion, he decided.

He knew he would make it up to his friend in some way. He just wasn't sure how.

"I want to know about earlier, and stop trying to avoid me already!" Rei said bluntly. Tyson blinked before turning his attention to the raven-haired male in front of him. The neko-jin almost seemed tense as he looked at him with his golden eyes. All the tension must have really gotten to him, seeing as the usually calm and collected blader was now trying to get a handle of his bearings.

Tyson closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. He really couldn't do anything now. Besides, Rei deserved to know, right? It was only fair…

"Fine, you saw Hilary earlier today…" Tyson started, launching into the conversation. Rei nodded timidly, a slight shine in his eyes of satisfaction as he listened intently.

"I forgot to tell her that all you guys were coming back for Christmas, and well, it all went from there…she was upset, and I could understand…" He trailed off, letting it sink in. Tyson pulled his red jacket over him, shielding himself from the sudden blast of cold that the wind had brought.

Rei nodded, "Mariah told me about that…but something else happened, I know it. What happened while we were gone, Tyson? There's something you're not telling me…"

"You might've known if you were here…" Tyson mumbled to himself, but with his hearing, Rei was able to pick it up.

Rei's eyes narrowed. "Yes, I would've, but I wasn't. So I'll just have to let you tell me then." He said it calmly, his eyes burrowing into the stormy blue ones that belonged to the dragon master.

Tyson rubbed the back of his neck before sighing. "I guess that after everyone left, and when we went to college, Hilary just kinda got lonely after awhile…" When he got a confused look from the raven-haired male, he explained further. "She lives by herself in a small apartment where she eats Chinese food and does homework, Rei. It's an okay apartment, but that's not really all that great when you have no one to share your company with, ya know?"

"Yeah…" Rei nodded. "But why wouldn't she say something then? If she was lonely then why didn't she tell any of us? We could've helped her," Rei stated.

"I think we all know Hilary by now," he answered, his jaw clenching as he spoke. "She always _was _stubborn."

Rei looked away from the dragon, getting caught up in his thoughts. "You mean like someone else we all know?"

Tyson fixed his hat that had been slightly blown around by the wind. "Haha. Very funny. C'mon, we should be heading back now. It's getting dark."

He was right; the sun had already gone down, causing a blanket of night to sweep over them as the cold night wind picked up.

"Alright," he agreed with the blunette. This conversation was obviously over, and now he finally had some answers to his questions. The tree had already been loaded up into the car, so now all was left was to get it home.

* * *

"So, I hear you have a new apartment. How is that?" Mariah asked curiously while handing her friend a cup of hot chocolate, which the brunette took gratefully, taking small sips out of it before placing it down again. 

"It's fine. Small, but I really didn't need a lot of space anyways," she answered. Mariah picked up her own glass before she also took a sip of the delicious liquid.

"What's it like? Having a place all to yourself like that?" The pink-haired neko-jin asked with inquiring golden eyes.

Hilary thought about it for a moment. What _was _it like? "It's pretty neat. But I guess it's a little quiet…" she said, trailing off at the end.

Mariah's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean, quiet?"

"Err…well, it gets kinda quiet there since it's only me," Hilary replied.

"I guess that could be pretty lonely. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have Lee or Rei to talk to-" Mariah instantly stopped her sentence when she realized exactly what she was saying. She glanced to the brunette who had a sort of sullen look on her face. "Sorry," the pink-haired girl apologized.

Hilary shook her head, her expression softening again, "It's fine!" she said, getting up from her seat while finishing her beverage, putting it into the sink before heading out the kitchen door. "I'll be out here!" she said before exiting.

Mariah sighed when she was out of ear-shot. That wasn't a smart thing to say, and now she probably hurt her friend's feelings without meaning to. She was lonely? That was certainly the impression that the brunette had given her. So then, perhaps she could help. Maybe she could try to cheer the brunette up, now that her mood seemed spoiled.

She'd find some way - she just needed a plan.

"Ugh, maybe this wasn't the best tree after all!" The sound of Tyson's voice made Mariah raise an eyebrow before she got up and stepped into the living room as Hilary had previously done not too long ago. The pink-haired girl gasped, seeing the dragon and her boyfriend try to pull the humongous Christmas tree through the doorway with no prevail.

Hilary stood in front of them, giggling at the sight. "You know, we don't usually have this problem at my house. I bring a tape measurer with me!" she called out to the struggling boys, still laughing at the frustrated looks on their faces.

"Darn it! It ain't funny, Hil!" Tyson yelled over the large mass of green in front of him as they both grunted at the weight. Finally, after many failed attempts, they finally managed to get it through the door way somehow. The four of them set up the tree with decorations while Daichi, Max and Kai were still outside, probably still working on whatever light problems were left before the sunlight was completely gone for the night.

After awhile, the tree was covered in large quantities of lights, each trinket shining beautifully off of the large plant. Daichi, Max and Kai came into the dojo soon afterwards, and hearing the commotion, they came into the living room as well to take a look at the large tree that seemed to take the room as it's own.

"Alright, now all we need to do is get the star up there!" Mariah called energetically, waving the small glass star around in her gloved hand.

"That thing is huge! Who the heck was the smart guy who got something that large?" Daichi asked while pointing at the huge tree that brushed against the ceiling. Rei and Tyson sheepishly raised their hands at the question, each showing a look of embarrassment.

Hilary laughed as she looked at their faces. She couldn't help it - the way the two boys screwed up their faces made her giggle. Her laughing stopped as she felt someone tap her shoulder. She looked over to see that it was Mariah, who was holding the star out to her.

"You put it on."

Hilary looked at the little glass star in her hand, then up at the high tree, and back to the pink-haired girl again.

"Mariah, uh…I can't reach that high…" she started, before she was cut off by a soft grunt. She watched as Kai got down on his knees, his back facing her.

Hilary must've had a really dumbfounded look on her face, because Kai gave a short sigh, probably from annoyance, before looking over his shoulder at her. "Get on." It was a command, not a request.

Hilary did as she was told, and still gripping the little star in her hand, she used her free one to grip Kai's shoulder so that he could hoist her on without falling off. When she was finally on, Kai curled his fingers around her feet so that he could hold her in place. His hands were surprisingly warm. She could feel the calluses on his hands from all the years of Beyblading, the finger-less gloves he always wore no longer hiding them.

He stood up, and Hilary felt fear well up inside of her at how high she was. She could see over the phoenix's head easily, and looking down she saw the others looking up at her with amused eyes. She held onto the phoenix's shoulders and neck as tight as she could without choking him. Hilary adjusted her hand so that it went in back of Kai's neck to where the dark blue strands were traveling down down his neck like a dark river. They were soft, and without meaning to, she accidentally gave a tug that earned a shift and a grunt that told of his displeasure.

She felt Kai's hands grip a little tighter so that she could adjust better. She let out a breath that she didn't even realize she was holding in. She calmed down; letting herself actually enjoy the height she was at. So, this was what it felt like to be as tall as Kai. She didn't know how he could stand being this tall. He mustn't be very afraid of heights.

Suddenly feeling brave, Hilary leaned forward slightly, reaching to the tree so she could put the glass star on top. She inched closer and closer until she finally could tip it onto the very top. She admired her work for a moment as the star sat there shining while the rest of the lights made it glitter.

Kai suddenly squat down so that she could get off, much to her bemusement. She actually found herself having…fun. She scampered off his shoulders quickly so that he could stand up again. He glanced at her with his mahogany eyes before turning around and walking back into the kitchen, his scarf flowing out behind him gracefully.

For the rest of the night, Hilary found her thoughts wandering back to the little star that stood proudly at the top of the tree.

And of the phoenix blader who had helped her get it there.


	4. Part: IV

**Title: **_Chinese For Two_  
**Pairing/Characters: **Kai/Hilary  
**Rating: **T  
**Disclaimer: **Beyblade © Aoki Takao-sama

* * *

**Chinese For Two**

**Part: IV**

**

* * *

**The sudden blast of heat that spread throughout the room caused a shudder to run up the brunette's body as she cranked up the notch to the heater. She didn't expect their party to be so soon, since they had originally planned it to be on Christmas Eve so the three of them could spend the night with the Kinomiyas.

But of course it didn't run that way, since they had more help setting up. Hilary sighed as she collapsed onto the couch, noting, but not particularly caring that she landed on about half of her reports for class. She really couldn't give a darn at this point in the morning. 7am was too early to do anything.

She groaned softly before rolling onto her side so that she could get a look at her answering machine. According to the small machine, she had one message.

_Probably from Mom… _she thought. Her parents had to work this entire week, which meant that they wouldn't get to be home for Christmas. Her mother had wanted to get the day off, along with her father.

Lazily bringing her hand up, Hilary pressed the beeping red button, waiting for the machine to do its job.

A beep sounded throughout the quiet room as she listened anxiously for the message to play. Just as she thought, it was her mother, whose light voice could be heard through the machine.

_Hilary? Are you there? I just wanted to phone you so that you know ahead of time, dear. Your father and I tried to get Christmas off, but our managers want us at the office…I'm sorry, Hilary. It won't be until later in the evening that work lets out. _

_Please give me a call. Spend some time with those friends of yours, Tyson and Kenny. Have some fun! Anyways, goodbye, Hilary. I love you._

And with that, the click of the machine sounded as the last few words ended.

Her heart sank as she registered her mother's words. She knew her mother and father really tried, they wanted nothing more then to spend time with their daughter on Christmas, but, the work of a doctor and secretary was hard. This required long hours of attention…

Hilary slumped back into the couch, looking up at the plain cream-colored ceiling.

_Spend some time with those friends of yours, Tyson and Kenny. Have some fun!_

She furrowed her eyebrows, causing a slight crease of frustration to appear across her features as she brought a hand up to gently stroke her temples, the ache of a headache coming on.

That would've been great. She had originally planned this, but of course, it hadn't worked out as she had planned it would. She had really thought her parents could've gotten the day off. She even told Mariah about it…

She sat up, rubbing her forehead in a circular motion as to ease the strain in her head. So now what? She was up the creek without a paddle with no plans. So did this mean she would be lying around here all of Christmas?

She slowly ebbed her way off the couch as she trudged towards her bed, still caught up in her thoughts. Why was it bothering her so much? Why couldn't she just go to her friends and ask if she could stay with them?

She was fine. Nothing was wrong, and everything was just fine.

She winced at how that sounded. She wasn't fine. Things were wrong. At least to her they were. She couldn't imagine herself alone on such a holiday. Hilary could feel the tension of the walls creeping up on her – the cob webs beginning to grow and thicken as she felt things fall apart around her.

Glancing over at the doorway, there laid three wrapped gifts; one for Tyson, Kenny and Grandpa. It looked like she'd have to go shopping again, since the others were here.

There was a light grumble heard from her stomach, telling her that she was hungry.

Hilary stood up and glided over towards the phone, almost as if she were walking on air because of her quick strides. Not needing to punch in the digits because of the speed-dial system, Hilary pushed a small button on the phone before her as she held the earpiece to her ear as she listened to the drone of the other end as the line rang.

After about four rings, she heard Mr. Chang's usual greeting before she began to speak. "Hi, Mr. Chang! Okay, I'd like a carton of rice, along with some egg rolls, please," she stated, waiting for the man on the other line to respond.

She listened to him replay her order before he asked her, in that ever silly teasing way, if she would like a meal for two.

"No, just one. Yup, only me. Okay…thank you. Goodbye." With that, she hung up, before falling onto her bed as she had done before.

Chinese in the morning. She couldn't wait.

* * *

Two mahogany eyes slowly became visible as the Russian surfaced from his sleep. The sun shone brightly through the open window, making him wince slightly at the brightness as it invaded his sensitive eyes. 

Kai sat up, running a hand through his tousled hair as his eyes studied what was in front of him as he blinked away the remains of sleep. Tyson and Kenny were still sleeping, Tyson snoring loud as ever, while Kenny slept peacefully next to him.

Kai could vaguely smell the light aroma of food cooking as the soft sound of two people talking from the other room, which, judging by the smell that'd most likely be the kitchen. Without too much thought, Kai pushed the fluffy blankets aside, letting his legs out from their confinement as stood up, his legs stiff from just waking up.

He stretched a little, letting himself adjust before his legs lead him into the kitchen where the heavenly smell of food hit him full blast. He had always loved Rei's cooking. He may not have ever said anything to the neko-jin, but he really admired his friend for his skill. Kai wasn't exactly _bad _at cooking, but, compared to Rei, Kai was nothing but a helper in the kitchen.

The two people stopped talking long enough to see him standing in the doorway. Mariah gave him a slight smile of acknowledgement before Rei spoke to him. "Hey, want breakfast?" he asked, looking over his shoulder, a frying pan in his hands as well as an apron that finished the look.

Still groggy, Kai simply nodded as he brought himself to the table, letting himself slip into it with a slump of his shoulders. He looked over towards the clock, which read 7:48.

He wondered exactly how long the two people in front of him had been awake. Must've been before him, for they seemed pretty chipper right that moment as they carried on with their conversation as if it had never been interrupted.

"So, what were you saying before, Rei?" Mariah asked looking over at her boyfriend with her golden eyes.

Rei flipped one of the eggs expertly before replying. "_You_ were going to say something before," he replied, flipping one of the eggs again.

Her eyes widened in realization, snapping her fingers in remembrance, she replied, "Oh, right! Uh…yeah, I was wondering if you could take Hilary's Christmas present over to her apartment…she left so early this morning, and I forgot to give it to her…um, and I have to go downtown to do some…stuff…" she finished while trailing off at the end.

Kai raised an eyebrow at her statement. Whatever 'stuff' was, she sure didn't seem like she wanted to elaborate. By the way she said it, it sounded like she had just come up with that little statement all in that one moment. Another slate eyebrow rose to match the other as he watched her look over at her boyfriend, who had looked over his shoulders to answer her. She looked nervous.

Rei frowned lightly, looking at her apologetically. "Sorry, Mariah, but I promised Gramps I'd stay for the day and help out in the dojo with cleaning and practicing his kendo…I thought I'd told you that…"

Mariah sighed, pulling out a small slip of paper, letting her eyes scan over it. "Too bad…" she muttered.

Kai vaguely wondered what that small piece of paper said. He wasn't one to butt into other people's business, simply because it had nothing to do with him. But, as the two people conversed in front of him as if he wasn't even there, and the fact that the pink-haired girl was looking more nervous by the second, his interest was definitely drawn to that tiny cream colored paper.

Mariah stole a glance at the phoenix, letting her eyes sit on him for a minute as he stared at her with his questioning mahogany eyes.

Hilary's address and phone number was written neatly across it. She had given it to her last night during the party, so that the pink-haired girl could come over or call her sometime when a chance for it arrived.

Now…time to put this into action. "I guess she'll have to get it later then. I wanted to give it to her before Christmas Eve, but I guess it'll get to her later…" Mariah glanced over towards the slate-haired man, seeing his eyes still locked on her.

Kai watched her as she glanced his way. He watched as she carefully put the paper down in front of her. It was hard for him to distinguish what it said since it was backwards, but he was able to make out the small numbers and letters that were obviously part of an address.

Hilary's address. His eyes narrowed slightly. She had avoided him as best she could last night, and that made him concerned, yet he was angry. She looked like she was scared of him, like she didn't even want to be in his presence. He didn't understand, and it annoyed him that there was something he didn't know that was going on with the former coach. He wanted to know, and maybe, help her to fix whatever was wrong.

She was usually a very open girl, one where she outwardly expressed her feelings and opinions. He didn't understand why she was so different from that girl now.

Just that strange look she had given him, it made him feel like an outsider, like he didn't belong there. This wasn't true. He did belong there; he wasn't an outsider or a stranger. He was the same captain that pushed his team, making them work so that they would become stronger.

But even now, he still felt like a stranger. Rei and Mariah had just conversed in front of him, and it had seemed so natural to them. It was like he wasn't even there.

Yes, something was wrong. And he would find out what. "I'll do it."

Those three words caused the other people in the room to look over at him, shock clearly seen on their features.

Mariah mentally sighed in relief. Now, time to act dumb. "What do you mean?" she asked while tilting her head to the side.

He grunted. Standing up from the table, he walked over to her side, glancing down at the small paper, before letting his hand travel down to it, letting himself take hold of it. He let his eyes scan the paper, making a mental note to remember the address for later before pocketing it. "I'll take it," he repeated, his words not revealing anything else.

Mariah blinked before nodding in understanding. She bent down, pulling her small pink bag onto her lap, fishing out a box with pink wrapping. She handed it to him, letting his gloved hands grasp it.

Without another word, Kai turned around, leaving the other two to watch his retreating figure.

"Hey, wait!" Rei called after him, but went by unnoticed as the door was shut, cutting him short.

Mariah looked at him with curiosity. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Rei sighed, looking down at the still sizzling eggs. "He forgot breakfast…"

* * *

The cold air wafted around him, his face stinging slightly as the wind practically slapped him in the face as he followed what the piece of paper said. He was pretty close now; just another block and he would finally be at her apartment. 

He grunted, wishing he had taken along his scarf, which he had accidentally left back at the dojo. He felt strange without it – he almost felt naked without it as he walked down the road with the cold air wrapping around him.

The small package was tucked neatly under his arm as he crossed the street, not really caring what it was, but more focused on where he was going. When he finally reached the corner, he turned, letting him come face to face with a decent looking building that overlooked the park that they had always went to when they were still the G Revolutions.

Pushing his thoughts aside, Kai headed up to the door, going in and heading towards wherever the paper was telling him to go. Finally, he stopped at a door that had '4A' carved into it. Both paper and door told him that he was at the right place.

Carefully, he brought out his gloved hand, knocking on the wooden door, waiting for the brunette to answer as he placed his hand down. The sound would've been easily heard by her, seeing as it wasn't exactly 'light'.

He waited, but nobody answered, letting him feel more and more uneasy as he just stood there in the middle of the hall, holding some pink present under his arm.

Realizing nobody was going to answer; Kai let his mahogany gaze sweep over the area. Hilary's room was actually not too far from the entrance, seeing as it was on the second floor of the building. The walls of the hall were pretty boring, the wooden walls bear. The halls were surprisingly warm, giving it a homey air.

It was an alright place, but to him, it didn't look like Hilary would have this place on her favorite's list.

Maybe he should leave. Nobody was here, and he really wasn't one to stand around. He ran that thought over in his head.

No. He wanted answers, and to get these, he needed to speak to the brunette. He had no idea where she could be at such an early hour. It was only 8:23am and she left the dojo probably somewhere around seven, seeing as Mariah and Rei were up before him. Surely they would've been up to say goodbye to the girl.

He thought that strange. They both had seemed pretty cheery, not at all tired. Why would the pink-haired girl forget when she seemed more than awake in his eyes? Whatever it was, it really didn't matter, but he couldn't help but run the question through his mind.

Kai stood there for half an hour, not really caring about the strange looks he was getting from the people who came out of their apartments every now and then. The more he stood there, the more the walls seemed to darken, giving the place a depressing mood that was uncomfortable even for him.

Maybe he should reconsider. This was becoming ridiculous, not to mention just a plain waste of time on his part.

Kai was getting ready to place the small wrapped gift in front of the door when he heard a loud thud sound from behind him. Arching an eyebrow, he turned, only for his mahogany eyes to lock with deep ruby.

She was finally here.

* * *

She could feel his eyes on her. They seemed to look straight through her as if he knew what she was thinking. She glanced up; catching his eyes and making them lock together silently. Tyson, Grandpa and Kenny were still asleep, only leaving the two neko-jin's awake in the dojo. 

Finally, Rei spoke, breaking the silence, "What was that?" he asked her.

Mariah grinned. "Huh?" she answered smartly.

Rei ran a hand through his long tresses, sighing. "I saw that look. With Hilary's address. I know you, Mariah; tell me what's going on."

Mariah felt butterflies involuntarily flutter in her stomach at his words. If she hadn't been so uncomfortable, she would've been touched by his observance.

"I was trying to get Kai to take Hilary the present, and it worked," Mariah explained. It would be better to tell him, seeing as she hated lying to him, not to mention he could help her too.

Rei looked at her with a confused look. "Why? If you wanted him to do it, why'd you ask me in the first place? I told you I would be with Grandpa…" he trailed off. He was confused with her actions. It just didn't make sense to him.

"Because," she said, "I couldn't just come right out and _ask _Kai! He'd get suspicious! If that happened he wouldn't have gone," she said matter-of-factly.

"But you're still not making sense, Mariah. _Why _do you want Kai to give it to her? You could've given it to her this morning, and you never mentioned plans..." Rei watched as she shook her head. There must be something he didn't know; otherwise he wouldn't be so confused right now…

"You didn't see how he looked at her yesterday in the back?" Mariah questioned, remembering the other night.

_Mariah watched from the doorway as Hilary took a step away from the tall phoenix avatar in front of her. _

_She could see Kai look at her with quizzical eyes as she tried to edge away from him. The brunette didn't seem to notice, however, her eyes practically glued to the ground._

"But I was with Tyson getting a tree…" Rei stated, "I wasn't even there…"

Mariah blinked, slapping her forehead in realization. "Oh, that's right! Sorry, Rei," she said apologetically, "But still! What about last night with the star?"

Now that he saw. "That was a little unexpected," he said, more to himself than his girlfriend.

"Right! So why should Kai spend his Christmas in his big old empty mansion, and Hilary in a small apartment when they could spend it together?" Mariah said, a happy grin tugging at her lips, unable to hide her satisfaction with her plan.

She had a point, he supposed. He remembered his talk with Tyson on the way back from the store about how Hilary was living alone in an old apartment while Kai was going to spend his Christmas in his Grandfather's old mansion, which he left behind to Kai in his will.

He supposed that his girlfriend's intentions were in the right place, but, what about Hilary and Kai? He could only imagine what would come if they found out that they were being set up. He really had no wish to be dismembered.

"Mariah, what if they found out?" he asked, reluctance thick in his deep voice.

Mariah smiled. "What if they _didn't _find out?" she countered. "Which they _won't_, if no one tells them!"

Rei sighed. Somehow, no matter what he said, he knew this plan was going to involve him now that he knew about it, not to mention his own curious instincts nudging him to go along with it. Knowing he was going to regret this later, he shook his head, finally able to answer. "You've got me. But if we get caught, it's not my fault!"

"Yes!" Mariah cheered, latching onto Rei in a bear hug. "Thank you, Rei! You'll see! It'll work out!"

He knew it would. It was just the thought that he was going behind two of his friend's backs that had him a little worried. But, it was better then just letting them spend Christmas alone. He supposed he could take it though, seeing as Mariah's intentions were good, and that it was to help, which was exactly what he wanted to do. Well, this seemed like a good way to do it in his opinion.

This was going to be one interesting Christmas.


	5. Part: V

**Title: **_Chinese For Two_  
**Pairing/Characters: **Kai/Hilary  
**Rating: **T  
**Disclaimer: **Beyblade © Aoki Takao-sama

* * *

**Chinese For Two**

**Part: V**

**

* * *

**Her breaths came out ragged as she climbed the steps, stumbling every now and then. Hilary could hardly see over the three packages, all on top of the other. She carried them up the many steps that lead to the second floor, which would take her back to her own apartment.

She really should've considered the weight of all these blade parts before she actually went and bought them for her blue-haired friend. But, she really wasn't sure of what else to get the dragon, aside from a video game. And she really had no idea what game she should've gotten him, for she had no idea what game he _didn't _have.

Quickly ignoring the need to take a break, wanting to just get up to her apartment, Hilary sped up her pace until she finally reached the top of the stairs, pulling the door with her pinky and letting it swing open from the small force.

Finally she had gotten something done! Maybe now she could start focusing more on her school assignments. They were piling up more and more and most – if not all – of her reports were due after the break. Hm…well, she was busy…

Ignoring the bulging pile of work was more like it.

She stifled a small snicker at the thought. She remembered clearly when she was always pestering Tyson when it came to homework, may it be from his sheer laziness or just her maternal instincts. Looks like someone now had to pester _her _about it.

Walking down the hallway that lead to her apartment room, Hilary made a sharp turn once reaching a corner. Letting out a deep breath that she hadn't even realized she had been holding in, she opened her eyes and let them focus on what was in front of her.

Suddenly, her eyes widened into saucers. That was it. That was enough to make the heavy packages she had been carrying fall to the ground with a loud thump, making the person in front of her turn their attention to her with a start.

Deep mahogany bore into her light ruby intensely, seeming to be sizing her up. She felt frozen to the spot. She was stunned that he was here. Why was he here? Hilary still couldn't move, for his eyes were still on her, and she found herself unable to look away. It was like she was a moth drawn to a flame.

They flickered with an emotion that she was unable to read, for it had vanished as quickly as it had appeared. It was strange, yet comforting at the same time. After not seeing him for such a long time, it felt almost…_refreshing_ to be able to see his face again.

That didn't erase the immense surprise though.

Hilary came back to her senses once mahogany disappeared behind shut lids. Kai blinked, looking away from her with a grunt. "Why are you just standing there?" he asked, his voice deep.

Hilary shook her head lightly, just now finding her voice, fumbling, trying to find the right words. "Uh…I-I…um…hey, what are you doing here, Kai?" Very smooth.

He didn't answer. He turned his gaze downwards, eyeing the packages that had fallen to the ground. He grunted again, slowly making his way towards her.

Nervousness welled up inside the brunette as his footsteps echoed softly, the two-toned haired man coming closer with each step he took, until he was right in front of her, towering over her just like before. Only this time, instead of fear, she felt a great acceptance wash over her as she looked back up into his eyes.

Without a word, Kai bent down, scooping up the rather large packages that were slumped at the brunette's feet. He moved away until he was once again at her door, now holding the presents in his arms, looking over at her, through her.

Hilary blinked as she watched him, not fully comprehending what this small, yet kind gesture meant.

"Are you going to stand there all day?"

The question snapped her back into reality. Her eyebrows furrowed. She sure had been spacing out a lot recently, and it was becoming quite the nuisance.

Without looking at the phoenix, Hilary strode over to him, taking out her key so that it could slide into the lock. With a final flick of her wrist, the door was unlocked, letting the two people into the room.

Taking a step inside the small room, Kai felt surprise hit him like a brick at what he saw. This place was a pig sty. He vaguely wondered if Tyson had let his Dragoon loose in this room, for it sure looked like a hurricane hit the place.

Less then a second later, Hilary strode in, a sheepish expression playing at her features as she followed his gaze around the room. Papers were still scattered across the room, piling up with a mountain of books that stood tall on the desk that was near the corner. Old food cartons of what looked like Chinese were huddling around the garbage can, which was overflowing with other similar items. A laptop lay open under the coffee table, looking as if it hadn't been turned off for awhile.

Hilary gave a sheepish laugh, not really noticing how bad it looked until now. "Um…make yourself comfortable?" she said lamely, gesturing towards the couch.

Kai set down the brunette's gifts on a random chair that was near the doorway, not really knowing where else he could put them without them becoming lost in the huge mess. The only thing he still held was the small pink present that Mariah had given him for her. It felt weightless, almost as if there was nothing in it at all. So, unless the gift was nothing but air, it must be very small.

He took a seat on the couch, hearing a loud crunch as his bottom connected with the paper. He shifted, moving his torso this way and that, trying to adjust to this new development.

Hilary sat across from him on one of the few chairs in the room. "So…um…why are you here?" She mentally winced. That sounded rude. Quickly, she tried to cover her mistake. "I mean, I wasn't expecting you and all! So, um, this is a surprise…what can I do for you?" she finished, almost biting her tongue at the end of that rushed statement.

For a moment, she could've sworn she saw a flash of amusement shine in his mahogany eyes, practically laughing at her. But, just as it had before, it disappeared instantly, all traces of it being there completely gone.

With a shake of his head, Kai held up the pink present so that the brunette could gaze at it. Hilary raised an eyebrow. "Eh…thank you?" She didn't know Kai to be the kind of guy to be going around giving people presents wrapped in pink ribbon.

Kai blinked at her, looking down at the present before shaking his head again, before he spoke. "From Mariah."

That explained it. Hilary couldn't help feeling a little disappointed, yet oddly relieved by his short statement. She reached out idly, gripping it in between her hands before replying. "Oh, well thanks for bringing it then." She was slightly confused. If this present had come from Mariah, why was the person in front of her not Mariah?

Pushing the thought aside, she looked back down at the small present before her, a wide grin suddenly appearing on her face. She shook the box next to her ear; trying to make out what could be inside…it was still early, but maybe…

Kai watched as the young brunette suddenly lunged for the box, tearing the wrapping and throwing the pieces to the floor so that it could soon join its 'brethren'. Apparently Hilary wasn't one to wait until Christmas Day.

Removing the last bits of paper away, a plain brown box now lay beneath her. Without a moment's hesitation, she flipped the lid off, her ruby eyes searching for what was inside. She felt her eyes go soft as she saw what it was. Hilary pulled out picture in a brown oak frame. Smiling back at her, was her pink-haired friend, along with the rest of the White Tiger X.

She could make out Lee grinning at her from beside Gary, who seemed to be in a sort of daze, but had a smile directed her way nonetheless. Kevin lay atop the large bear-like man's shoulder, his mischievous eyes shining back, that sly little grin evident on his features as he stared out in front of him.

In front of them, stood their trainer, the wacky Tao that had wisdom that was sometimes overlooked at first, but was always there, even through his strange, and in some ways mysterious actions. He held the largest, almost toothless smile she had ever seen as he held out two fingers upwards in a peace sign.

Finally, beside him, proudly stood Rei, his arms draped around Mariah's shoulders lovingly. His sharp fang-like teeth glistened brightly as he flashed his dazzling smile, his golden eyes shining. Mariah had a similar expression, only she held a softer, more content look as she stood next to her love.

Together, all of them looked like the perfect family in Hilary's eyes. But not only that, she realized that they were her family too.

With a bubble of warmth appearing in her belly, Hilary got up, moving over to the man in front of her, wrapping her fingers around his collar and tugging as she worked to straighten it. This was all the thanks she could muster up for the moment, but she knew he probably understood her gesture anyway.

"Hilary?" he asked softly, and inside her eyes he saw warmth, gratefulness, and something else he couldn't identify, but whatever it was it shone brightly in the brunette, causing his sharp mahogany eyes to soften to some extent at the look. "You okay?"

Hilary quickly got off the two-toned haired man, her face flushing slightly as she rubbed her hand over her eyes. She gave a soft smile. "I'm fine. Thank you for bringing it to me." Sitting back on her chair, Hilary picked up the box along with the picture that carried the smiling faces of her family.

Just before closing the lid to the box, Hilary's eyes caught sight of something else. Letting her hand grip what was inside, Hilary pulled out a small note. She let her gaze scan over it.

_Hope you like the picture. Merry Christmas to you, Hilary!_

_Love, The White Tiger X Team_

Sighing, Hilary laid the picture on the coffee table, letting it sit in the middle proudly.

Hearing the crunch of papers not even a minute later, Hilary looked over to the couch, seeing Kai beginning to get up. His back now faced her as he made his way over to the front door.

Something wasn't right though. Something was missing, and it bothered her. Then, after careful inspection, she realized what it was: He wasn't wearing his scarf. That long, silk-like scarf that she thought so graceful as it wrapped around his neck snuggly, hugging his shoulders and back as it came down to his knees. She found it strange, and in a way disappointing, that he wasn't wearing it. She was surprised with herself for not noticing earlier, for it was usually the first thing she noticed about Kai whenever she saw him. Now that he wasn't wearing it, it just seemed like the old captain was missing something.

Well, she'd change that. She let her gaze roll over towards the small stack of gifts she had gotten from the store, and already felt a smile tugging at her lips.

"I'd better go." Kai stated as he moved towards the door. He didn't need to stay any longer. He had all the information he wanted. He heard her light footsteps as she came closer, before he felt a small hand grip his shoulder. Realizing it was Hilary; Kai grasped her hand in his own gloved hand, soaking in the warmth it was radiating.

Pulling her hand back almost as if she had been burnt, Hilary gave a small wave in his direction, her eyes darting away. "I'll see you later, Kai!"

Kai nodded. "Yes." He was already half way out the door before he remembered something. "By the way…"

Hilary looked at him curiously. What was going on through his head?

A light smirk appeared on his face suddenly. "Likewise." And with that, Kai strode down the hallway, leaving the building, along with a shell-shocked brunette.

_Likewise. _

Hilary then remembered something, and flushed because of her sudden realization.

_Hilary glanced back at Kai, whose jaw seemed to clench. "Great to see you again, Kai! Bye!" she said quickly, before rushing away from the three boys, moving over to where her friend was awaiting her._

For a moment, Hilary forgot to breathe.


	6. Part: VI

**Title: **_Chinese For Two_  
**Pairing/Characters: **Kai/Hilary  
**Rating: **T  
**Disclaimer: **Beyblade © Aoki Takao-sama

* * *

**Chinese For Two**

**Part: VI**

**

* * *

**Hilary's eyes fluttered open and closed as she stared up at her ceiling, no real interest showing through except for the usual bored expression whenever she would stare at those dull, plain walls. She stretched, letting her body cover the papers she had been working on, now completely sprawled out across the floor and over the bed.

She just wasn't bothered enough to care at the moment. Hilary rolled over, letting her face meet directly with that of her gift. The picture now stood on her dresser, so that she could see it right away. She felt a slow, sleepy smile come to her face as she looked at each of her friends, not to mention family.

She sighed slightly, realizing exactly how lazy she had been lately. She let her gaze wander around the room, taking the catastrophe in. Nothing much had changed, minus the wrapping paper she had recently gotten so as to wrap the guys' presents with. She kind of forgot to put it away after awhile…

Hilary jumped as her ears picked up the sound of the phone ringing loudly, as if echoing in the stillness that had taken over the room. Sitting there in a daze-like state, it took a moment for her to register what was going on.

Leaping up frantically, she just about jumped to the phone, scooping it up and placing it to her ear. "Hello?" she asked, her breathing ragged as she tried to regain her composure.

"Hi, it's Mariah…are you alright?" She heard her friend ask on the other line. The brunette could practically see the worried expression that adorned her friend's face. Hilary nodded into the phone before she remembered Mariah couldn't see her, and answered with a huff of breath.

"I'm fine. So, what's up?" she asked, cradling the phone to her ear as she awaited the pinkette's answer.

"Nothing much, I just wanted to know if you got your present alright, I hope you like it…" She heard the hopeful voice.

The brunette grinned. "Oh yeah! I got it, it was really great. Thank you!" she answered cheerfully. But then, she remembered something strange that she felt curious about. "Hey, Mariah, why was Kai the one who brought me the picture, and not you?"

On the other end, Mariah flinched at the question. She was hoping the brunette wouldn't find it troublesome enough to delve into it so that she wouldn't have to lie to her friend, but alas, that wasn't the case. It _was _actually troublesome to receive a gift from someone it wasn't even truly from. And by the way Hilary had acted earlier; it must have been even more awkward when it was Kai who showed up.

"…" Mariah searched her brain to find something that sounded believable. When Kai had gotten back last night, she could tell that he wasn't really convinced that she had to go downtown. Now that she thought about it, her explanation _was _pretty lame. That's right; she had to go downtown to get some 'stuff'.

"Mariah? You there?" Hilary blinked as no response came back. She vaguely wondered if she had hung up, but then dismissed the thought as she finally heard her friend's voice.

"…Yeah, I'm still here…" Mariah mumbled nervously. She rubbed the back of her head as she tried to think. She'd just have to throw caution to the wind and hope that Hilary was more gullible than the phoenix. "Sorry I couldn't give the present to you myself, but I really needed to go downtown for some things." Oh great. She's switched from 'stuff' to 'things'. Much better.

"…Okay then…" Hilary mumbled, raising an eyebrow into the receiver. That answer had come a little reluctantly in her opinion.

"So, then!" Mariah's voice exclaimed through the phone, "Are you getting the guys a present?" The change in subject was unexpected, though casual enough.

"Yeah…just got some Beyblade parts for Tyson and Kenny…" Hilary replied, not too much enthusiasm heard.

On the other side of the line, Mariah gave a nod. "What about the others?" she questioned.

Hilary sighed. "I wasn't too sure about the others, but I got them stuff they might pick themselves…Rei a head-band, Daichi a new wrist-band. I got Max a CD player since he broke his old one…"

"And Kai?" Mariah probed.

Hilary rubbed the back of her head in disdain. "I had no idea what he would want, so I gave up and just got him a new scarf." There was a pause on the other end of the line, before Hilary decided to speak up again. "Mariah…? Don't tell the guys, will you!"

There was another pause, one that made Hilary raise an eyebrow at the silence. "…Mariah?"

"Don't worry!" The sudden cheerful reply startled the brunette to the point of almost dropping the phone, though she managed to catch it before it completely slipped out of her grasp. "I won't tell them! I gotta go now, though, so I guess I'll talk to you later. Bye Hilary!" Before the brunette could even respond, the drone of the other end sounded in her ears, letting the girl know that her pink-haired friend had hung up.

She put the phone back in its cradle, and turning around, she stopped mid-step as her ruby gaze set on a particular sight. The neatly wrapped presents were still laid in the corner, ready to be delivered to their destinations. She'd forgotten about taking them over to Tyson's for a moment there.

She supposed it would be best to take them over now, seeing as she would probably not have the will to take them over later. Hilary stacked up the gifts, taking them downstairs and trying her best not to drop any of them. She should've just gotten Tyson shoes or something…because these blade parts were really going to break her back if she fell.

After three attempts at hauling them towards the dojo, two attempts at picking them up after she dropped them, and five musings about whether or not she should just leave the things there, she was surprised with herself when she realized she only had about another block to go before she reached the dojo.

Struggling to keep her arms enclosed around the objects, Hilary suddenly felt a great relief wash over her as she felt someone pick the boxes up out of her arms. Her eyes shot up, taking in the face of Rei as he looked down at her, his fangs gleaming in the cool winter sunshine.

"Rei?" Hilary questioned. What was he doing here? She would've expected to see him at the dojo right about now.

He flashed a friendly smile. "Hey! Looked like you needed some help there, so I thought I'd give you a hand," he said, shifting one of the boxes in his arms as he did. He started making his way up the path towards the dojo once again, before turning around to see if she was coming.

Hilary blinked before rushing over to him, until they fell into a steady step together. "Yeah! Guess I did…" she replied with a shake of her head.

They walked in a companionable silence that was calming in a way to the brunette. She glanced over to the neko-jin, seeing the friendly smile he wore for what seemed to be nothing in particular.

"These are pretty heavy," Rei commented, shaking the packages a little and hearing the rustling that came from them. "Wonder what's inside…" He let the sentence hang off being unanswered, looking over to the brunette with curious eyes.

Hilary grinned. "You'll have to wait for Christmas Day!" she answered.

"Hey!" Rei laughed out in protest, "You opened your gift before Christmas Day!"

Hilary rubbed her chin as if she were in deep thought before answering. "…Yeah, but I'm allowed!" she exclaimed.

"Sure you are!" Rei replied, rolling his eyes, though the effect wasn't as great when a chuckle escaped him.

Hilary gave a warm chuckle along with him. It felt good to do this. She suddenly remembered what it truly felt like to be with one of the people she cared about, and how important they were to her. It was something she hadn't felt for a long time, and had – she admitted – forgotten over the many months that had passed.

Rei stopped his walk, tilting his head up to gaze at what was in front of him, his golden eyes shining as the morning sun hit them, glowing with recognition and warmth. "Looks like we're here."

Hilary let her eyes roam over the area, stopping at certain places whenever a memory would pop up into her head, allowing her to indulge herself in them.

The dojo stood proudly, almost as if saluting them as they let themselves through the entrance of the Kinomiya residence. She could see Mariah through the open door, sitting next to Daichi, Tyson and Max as they conversed animatedly. Grandpa stood on the porch step, sweeping up some of the fluffy white snow which had accumulated over the past couple of days.

The old kendo master looked up from his actions, his mustache rising up his face as he gave them a friendly smile. "Yo, dogs. Haven't seen you hip youngsters all day now," he commented, his words amusing to the two people in front of him as he continued with his 'hip' lingo. "Haven't seen you since that party either, dudette. Not gettin' tired of mah crib now, are ya?"

Hilary chuckled, amused at his words. "Of course not, Grandpa. I've been busy lately. With school and everything."

Grandpa shook his head in agreement, running his hand over his chin, as if he were contemplating something. "True, true. Very responsible of ya, home girl. Glad to know you're putting that mind of yours to good use, ya know?" He pointed to his temple, "Gotta keep at it."

Hilary nodded, smiling, "Sure will, Grandpa."

Rei walked into the house, letting the two indulge in their friendly exchange. The dojo room was now full of talk, which it had been deprived of less than a few hours ago. He set the gifts down on the floor so that they wouldn't be in anyone's way incase they needed to get by.

Tyson and Daichi seemed to be bickering about something, while Kenny typed on Dizzi, seeming caught up in whatever he was looking at. It reminded him vaguely of the old days of when they were still a team, and that slowly caused some of the uneasy tension in his body to ebb away.

Rei let his gaze run through the room, searching for his pink-haired girlfriend, though she seemed absent as he ran a hand through his long raven hair. "Guys…?" His small question caught the others' attentions, causing them to turn their attentions to him.

"Have you seen Mariah anywhere?" Rei asked. He had seen her just a little while ago when they had stopped to talk to Grandpa, though now he couldn't make out any sign of her.

Daichi gave a loud, over exasperated yawn. "She went into her room. She said she 'needed to go check up on something'," the young blader answered.

"Really…" Rei mumbled to himself, rolling the words over in his head. He knew the neko-jin well enough to know that when she said things as vague as 'needed to go check up on something', it usually meant she was trying to keep her true motives a secret.

"You alright, Rei?" Tyson asked with concern, seeing the far away expression that seemed to overcome his neko-jin friend. "Gonna sit down, bud?"

Rei shook his head softly, small hairs escaping their binding every now and then as he did so. "I think I'm just going to go check on Mariah," he answered, before making his way to the next room over. "I'll be right back," he added over his shoulder.

"Whatever you say," Tyson called back, pulling out his Dragoon from his pocket, the edges shimmering from the light that poured in from the open doorway. "Daichi, Maxie," Tyson started, glancing over to the two other boys, who also stared back, as if reading his mind.

Kenny stopped typing, his chestnut brown bangs rising slightly as he rose a concealed eyebrow. The looks the three were giving each other were sly, and seemed to hold secret meaning as they exchanged glances, though it wasn't too hard to decipher the meaning behind it. Great…

Three smirks suddenly appeared on their faces, and Kenny resisted the urge to groan. They were planning something…the something that usually got them into trouble, and the two always seemed to love pulling him in for the ride as well.

Tyson, Max and Daichi glanced over to the door where Rei had previously disappeared through, and almost instantly, the three had disappeared from the computer whiz's sight – and through the door that lead to Mariah's room.

This time, Kenny didn't hesitate to let the exasperated groan escape him, along with the shake of his head. "Oh, wait, guys!" he called after them, getting up from his seat and running in the direction the three had went, making sure to keep his precious laptop close as he padded down the hallway. If the three were going to do something they weren't supposed to, who was he to stay behind?

* * *

Rei stepped in through the open door, quietly closing it behind him, before looking further into the guest room which had been claimed as Mariah's during their stay. The room had a cheerful air to it, the sheets a bright pink color and the small trinkets that lay on top of the dresser – compliments of Mariah. 

Rei couldn't help but blink as he watched his girlfriend bending down on all fours, her head deeply ducked under her bed, and if she were looking for something. Suspicion grew as he let the question run past his lips. "Mariah, what in the world are you doing under-"

The question was cut off when the pink-haired neko-jin instantly sprang up in surprise, her head hitting the bed as she started. A cry escaped the girl's lips as her head hit the floor once again. A few not-very-nice mumbles were heard from under the bed, before Mariah finally pulled herself away from under the bed, rubbing her head as she glared at her boyfriend, who was giving her an apologetic look.

"Sorry, Mariah," Rei apologized, waiting for her to indicate that she was alright.

Mariah gave a soft sigh. "It's alright, Rei, you just startled me," she stated, before returning to the task at hand, not sparing another moment to chat.

Rei raised an eyebrow at her hasty behavior, wondering what on earth she could be doing that she wasn't supposed to. Perhaps it was about that little 'plan' of hers that she was trying to execute. If that were the case, then he might as well stay and find out what she was doing, seeing as he had promised he would help her with it.

"Found it!" Exclaimed the excited pink-haired girl as she pulled herself out from under the bed, her hair ruffled and messy as pink strands fell loose in her face. She held something close to her as she took in a breath of air, wiping the sweat off her brow.

Rei was about to question, before he clamped his mouth shut as he realized what Mariah was holding: a scarf. And not just any scarf, but _Kai's _scarf. The long, almost silky white scarf that would hang from the team captain's neck wherever he went, was currently unoccupied, and in the hands of the pink-haired neko-jin.

"Mariah…?" Rei started, but the sentence died down again as he looked at her gleaming eyes. They held a cunning look in them, the look that said she was planning something. Looks like he was about to find out what that was, and how the scarf came into place. If Kai ever found out…

Rei didn't even remember the precious scarf to be missing from the phoenix's neck, and he was slightly curious as to how his girlfriend had gotten it in the first place without alerting the attention of the captain.

"I don't think Kai will miss this too much, do you, Rei?" Mariah asked, glancing over his way.

"Hold on a minute; how did you manage to get that, Mariah?" Rei asked, not bothering to hide his curiosity and confusion. "How'd you get it without Kai noticing?"

Mariah gave him a bright smile. "Easy!" she replied, snapping her fingers. "He left it when he went over to Hilary's, so while he was away, I hid it under my bed. He's still looking for it actually…" Mariah said, her features thoughtful as she placed a hand under her chin, giving it a rub. "He'd never think to come in my room!"

Rei groaned. She was having fun with this… "So, how does the scarf come in exactly?"

Mariah gave a tiny smirk, her eyes shining. "Well, if Kai lost his old scarf and can't find it, then he'd have to get a new one, right?"

Rei nodded a little in agreement. The phoenix would surely not go without his trademark scarf. "You think Hilary would get Kai a new scarf?" Rei questioned.

Mariah nodded. "Exactly." She twirled her finger around the long white scarf. "I called earlier, and found out it was a scarf she was getting for Kai, so…I got lucky that time in hiding it!" Mariah said sheepishly.

"Ah! Dizzi! No!" A shrill scream sounded outside of the door, along with a loud thump that caused the two neko-jins to jump from their seats.

"Sorry, Chief!" Came another yell, though this one sounded deeper and less frantic.

"Watch out!"

"Hey! That thing hit my foot!" Another thump was heard; the screaming continuing for another minute, before, finally, all was quiet again.

Rei and Mariah stared unblinkingly at the door, practically frozen in place, before slowly turning their heads to look at each other. Both their gazes said the same thing, the message reaching the other almost instantly as both neko-jins raced to the door, opening it with a swing.

There stood Tyson, Max, Daichi, along with a frantic Kenny who held his precious laptop high over his head as Tyson and Max watched exasperatedly as Daichi held onto his foot, his face screwed up with pain. "That laptop hit my foot!" he yelled, still holding onto his aching toes.

Mariah paled as she practically yelled her question, "How much did you hear!" she asked, her golden eyes narrowing in suspicion, though she knew it was probably futile to hide their conversation.

All three boys stared up at her, each of them not wanting to set a fuse off. They were eavesdropping – something she probably wouldn't feel very pleased about.

"Uh…" Mariah turned her fiery gaze to Daichi, whose index fingers were being poked together nervously as he stuttered. "…Up until the part the laptop hit me?"

Mariah sighed in exasperation as she watched them apprehensively. Up until the part the laptop hit him – so that meant -

Tyson arched a blue eyebrow, his blue eyes searing into her golden gaze, searching for the secrets she was harboring. She couldn't stand the look he was giving her – for nothing could ever be kept from Tyson for long, as she had found out.

The neko-jin slapped her forehead as she realized just how much she had revealed:

Everything.


	7. Part: VII

**Title: **_Chinese For Two_  
**Pairing/Characters: **Kai/Hilary  
**Rating: **T  
**Disclaimer: **Beyblade © Aoki Takao-sama

* * *

**Chinese For Two**

**Part: VII**

**

* * *

**The words that poured from Grandpa Kinomiya's mouth were beginning to pass through one of Hilary's ears and out the other as she nodded to each of his statements, though not entirely sure what he was saying. After getting into the subject of her major – Political Science – she decided to click out and push all thoughts of school and all the other little demons that just loved to keep her up all night with silent musings about school work, teachers, and the fire breathing tests that loved to torch her, out of her mind completely.

She took note that Rei had left almost instantly, leaving her to listen to Grandpa as he continued to tell her of how important and great it was to stay in school, and – though she knew this already – she just felt like crawling into bed at the moment and never coming out again.

Snow had begun to fall softly, landing lightly on top of her head, stray flakes hanging on the edge of her hair and falling down like crystals in a thunderstorm. She shivered, directing her heavy gaze to the gate of the dojo, where it stood closed, as though staring at it would suddenly swing open and bring a visitor that could lighten up the mood and make the atmosphere less dull.

Unfortunately, no such thing happened, and Hilary's head fell, resting on her chin, her eyes heavy and begging to be shut. She felt like she could just lay down in the snow and let sleep claim her, the sudden weight of everything around her beginning to pull her down, like a bunch of bullies were ganging up on her, wanting her to fall so that they could steal her lunch money.

Her eyes opened further, her ruby eyes darkening with the desire of rest. She'd never let bullies bother her before, and she wouldn't let them now. She really wasn't sure why she was tired – maybe from being up so late at night, working on school papers, or perhaps the cold – but either way, she couldn't just sit down and let the snow soak through her clothes while Grandpa thought she was indulged in his speech.

She sighed softly, more water falling down her neck and making her shiver.

Where were the others? Hilary glanced through the open shoji door, but could see no one in her line of vision. She felt a stab of annoyance at their lack of presence. They went off somewhere else, leaving her outside without even asking to come inside? She could practically see herself, reprimanding them, scolding them, asking where their manners were.

In that moment, she almost felt like a mother, and she scrunched her nose up in distaste. She took a moment to imagine herself asking them if they were wearing clean underwear.

For some reason, the idea just didn't seem like one she wanted to indulge herself in any further, and she quickly put it in the back of her mind, giving it a nice mental pat, giving it soothing words and asking that it never come back again.

With that set, Hilary glanced back over to the door, though this time the body of Tyson caught her eyes, though he quickly went back and around the corner he was looking from. It appeared that he hadn't seen her, though the idea that he didn't even bother to come out and greet her tugged at her, and she felt that it was time to drop in.

As if reading her mind, Grandpa gave a hearty laugh. "Can't be havin' mah home girl fallin' behind, now, can we? Well! Might as well get out of the cold, now, eh?" he asked with a chuckle. "Come inside." He opened the shoji door further, letting her slip inside and take in her surroundings.

It was almost quiet, besides the loud thump that seemed to be pounding against the floors, and Hilary felt herself give a sigh, then a small shiver as the warmth collided with her chilled skin.

She glanced back at the door frame, relieved to see that her gifts were sitting there unharmed. Rei had taken the moment to make sure of that.

"Are you serious? That's crazy!" Tyson's voice yelled out loudly, making it quite easy for Hilary to jump at the suddenness of it. She remembered before how easily Tyson got excited, and when he did, he would usually yell with high volume as if he were on the most thrilling roller coaster ride in the world. Idly, she wondered what had made him seem so surprised, slipping behind the corner as he had previously done.

"Be quiet, though!" Mariah whispered fiercely, eyes ablaze with worry and hesitation as she shushed them. She leveled her gaze with the four new teens, her index finger placed firmly against her lips, signaling her desire of quiet.

The four seemed to quiet down at this, each of them staring at her with anxiousness.

"Um, guys?" Hilary's voice called, slicing through their nervous thoughts and making them jump up, reminding Hilary of when Tyson had yelled out. She blinked as Daichi stared at her in horror, as if she were about to devour him and give the leftovers to the wolves. She mentally raised an eyebrow at the thought before shaking it away, getting back to the matter at hand. "What are you doing back here?"

The six continued to stare, but soon they seemed to be cut off from their stupor, realizing the looks they were receiving from the brunette was one of confusion at their behavior.

Max waved a hand in her direction, giving a chuckle. "Oh, hey, Hilary! You startled us!" he exclaimed, indicating towards the others who nodded in agreement. "We were just…checking out Mariah's room!" he continued, and gave an awkward laugh when Hilary raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" she asked bluntly. It was quite a strange thing for him to say. He wanted to see her room? She hadn't really heard of a boy who would want to see a girl's taste in fashion and furniture. That was something she would think a group of girls would do at a sleepover party, and – she tilted her head, gazing into the pinkette's room which she was occupying during her stay here – the room was practically empty, save for a few pink sheets here and there, the only things that showed it was Mariah who was sleeping in there. Otherwise it was almost a plain room.

"Well…" Max started hesitantly, giving a silent gulp. "Mariah asked if we could give our opinions on her room!" he said, hastily moving into said room, grabbing a fluffy pink pillow and running out with it, shoving it in front of him as if doing so would make the fib easier to believe.

He gave the pillow a nice pat, squinting a little and dusting off invisible dirt. "Yup! I think this is a great pillow, and boy, it feels nice and comfy!" He rubbed his cheek against it a little as if to demonstrate. He pushed it up to the brunette further. "Wanna feel?" he asked.

Hilary stared at the blonde in silence. Finally, she blinked, turning around and started walking back into the living room. "Er…" she started, taking a look back into the smiling blonde's face. "No thanks…maybe later. I'll be out here talking to Grandpa if you… need me." With that statement, Hilary hastily walked away, only sparing a small glance, before disappearing behind the corner once again.

When she was believed to be out of ear-shot, the bladers heaved a sigh of relief, Max plucking the pillow over his shoulder, the pink fluff ball landing on top of Dizzi, making Kenny give a squeak of surprise.

Rei shook his head, though he had to give Maxie credit for that excuse. He doubted the brunette believed it, though it seemed to scare her off. Rei frowned, realizing that was probably not the best outcome.

Mariah gave the three boys a leveled gaze. Each of them stared up at her, waiting for her to say whatever was on her mind. Whatever she said, she had to make sure her ruby-eyed friend wouldn't hear, less her plans be ruined in the outcome.

Letting practice sentences run over in her mind, Mariah tasted each one, contemplating which ones would tell the story best. What was the story, exactly?

Kai and Hilary weren't spending Christmas at the Kinomiya dojo. Her eyebrows furrowed. So where would they be? Mariah could remember talking to Rei before about it, and he had said that Kai was going to spend his time at his Grandfather's old mansion.

A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of the old tyrant that had almost caused permanent damage to the Beyblading world, and decided to put it to the back of her mind, despite her curiosity for knowing what the phoenix's reasons were. So she'd think of Hilary for now.

In her mind's eye, she remembered the flat frown on her friend's face when they were chatting in the kitchen those few nights ago. She looked worn and tired; the usual spunk she carried a flicker of what Mariah was used to.

Mariah looked back up at the expectant faces, and drew at deep breath as she spoke. "No more yelling. This is important."

And as if that explained everything, she turned, striding back into the room that had become hers over her stay at the Kinomiya residence, leaving the boys to stare after her as she picked up the fallen scarf, placing it over her shoulder as she gave each of them a knowing grin.

"So listen up."

* * *

_Maybe I'm just paranoid…_ Hilary thought as she played with the end of the pillow she was sitting on as the silence washed over her. _It wouldn't be the first time…_

Yes, she remembered her moments when her mind had gotten the best of her. She could've laughed now, thinking back on it.

"_I'm a very good judge of character, Kenny!" Hilary stated as she looked down at the small brunette who shook his head at her. "Kai has to be a spy! I bet he's working with those guys in a secret organization where they turn us all into robots so we have no feelings of our own, and use it so that they can take over the world!"_

Not being able to help herself, she laughed. The light sound seemed to echo off the dojo walls, as Hilary was able to laugh, the joke being her own secret thought that not even the ticking of time could take away at the moment. So she held onto that moment, wrapping it around herself like a blanket that would keep her warm through the cold winter nights.

"Uh…home girl? Ya alright?"

Stopping in her fit of giggles, Hilary glanced over to see Grandpa Kinomiya giving her a peculiar look, and she instantly shut her mouth as she watched him rub his chin.

She gave a sheepish laugh.

* * *

Hiwatari Kai walked down the path that lead to the dojo, glancing with uninterested mahogany eyes at the piles of snow that were building against the cars and driveways that the owners would have to dig out eventually. 

"_Likewise." _

His eyebrows furrowed. He mentally waved a hand when images of the Bladebreakers pranced around his head like sugar-fairies on an annoyingly bright day.

Yes, so he had missed them _all._ Days of battles flooded into his memory, and he could still feel the sand underneath his feet when he had stepped foot onto the sandy beaches those years ago, and he could still remember _everything. _

An image of the brunette came into his mind again, and he wondered what about that picture had caused such a shine to appear. Maybe it was the thought, he considered. Rei had told him something like that before.

"_It's the thought that counts!" Rei flashed him a smile, his canines seeming to shine under the Christmas lights overhead. "Quality over quantity!"_

Like a Beyblade part, he realized distantly, staring as the light snow started to fall even more, the glistening drops hanging off the roofs and lying lazily on his slate colored head. Quality over quantity.

So maybe that was it. And maybe she had grabbed onto him because she had found something of great quality.

His breath came out in a puff of smoke as the dojo was finally in sight, and he felt the cold air caress his skin, causing him to shiver under the winds that pushed at his limbs and pulled at his clothes.

He really wanted his scarf back.

* * *

"Ya sure you're okay, right?" Grandpa asked, raising an eyebrow while feeling her forehead. "Ya ain't got that nasty flu bug, do ya?" he asked in concern. 

Hilary grumbled. His concern was touching, really, but he didn't have to go as far as this. Well, she mused, at least he wasn't calling for the men in white. "I'm fine, Grandpa. Really." She pushed his hand away gently, taking in his wrinkled features, and smiled softly at him. He really hadn't changed from all the months that had passed. She was glad. He was one of a kind. She didn't know anybody else who chased after their grandson with a wooden kendo stick.

He grinned. "Just makin' sure mah home girl ain't sick. Boy them bugs need a new hobby," he laughed, giving his solid chest a nice pat. "Nothin' can infect this home bro!"

She giggled, "Of course not!" She realized how silly they were being, but when she really thought about it, she had never really gotten into such interesting conversations with Grandpa before, and she liked the extra kick of kookiness.

Grandpa chuckled, giving a nod before grabbing for his kendo stick and standing up along with her. He gave her a pointed look. "Ya ain't headin' home yet, are ya?" he asked curiously, and eyed the presents that sat in the corner of the dojo. "Aw, them all for me?" he laughed.

Hilary stuck out her tongue slightly, clamping a tooth on it as to stifle the laughter. No need to think they were both crazy now. "Yes, yes they are, Gramps." She tugged on the hem of her sweater again, glancing over at the pile of presents. "I'm gonna leave them here, if that's okay with you," she said, and at his nod, she continued. "Maybe I could come see you guys on Christmas Day? I want to see the guys' faces!" she exclaimed excitedly, waving a fist in the air.

Grandpa's smiled curved slightly, slipping down into a slight frown. "Of course, home girl. Ya're always welcome here. Ya know that." He watched her expression. It seemed to brighten at his words. "Why ya even ask?" At her blink, he went on. "Ya better not being stayin' at home all evenin'!" He shook his head when she remained silent, her eyes darting to the floor before the ruby eyes came back up to watch him again. He smiled, before holding up two fingers at her. "See ya at Christmas, home girl!"

Hilary's mouth hung open at his words, before she realized a small drop of spit accidentally leaked out from the open gap, and shut it up again. She'd hadn't expected Grandpa to say that – their playful banter turning into a discussion she didn't want to bring up – but, she could say, she liked the words that came from his mouth. She vaguely wondered if the old man had a sixth sense – she'd been low in the dumps lately – and had mentioned it.

Grandpa gave a flick of his kendo sword, before padding over and stopping before turning the corner that lead to the guest rooms. He gave a hearty chuckle, and almost as if he had heard what she was thinking, he continued down the hallway, and she laughed as his voice rung through the warm air of the dojo. "'Tis the season to be jolly, lalalalala, lalalalaaaaa!"

Hilary grinned before turning around on her heel, opening the shoji door, and -

- almost collided right into Hiwatari Kai.

The tall dual-haired man stared down at her with his sharp mahogany eyes, his blue triangles forever curving around his jaw and seeming to glare menacingly at anyone who looked at them. Almost like they had a life of their own. But that was silly, she mused, and her eyes went down, and spotted the missing scarf.

Her eyebrows furrowed. She thought he would've found it by now, or one of the guys would've saw it and given it back to him.

_Or,_ a little voice said in the back of her heard, tugging at her brain as if it were a fishing rod, waiting for the big catch that had went for the bait. _Maybe it was one of the guys?_

The thought was very likely. It was probably Daichi or Tyson who had taken it, a Christmas prank, most likely.

Kai stared down at her with curious eyes, though they revealed nothing of his thoughts. She seemed to be thinking about something, he noticed, watching as her ruby eyes seemed to flash with emotion, her mouth forming a stance as if she were about to state a sentence, but would then change to a different position as her eyebrow creased and her ruby gaze shifted as they looked up at him like a silent spectator.

He wondered what she was thinking. The brunette had always had a thought on everything, no matter if it were a Beyblade tip, a sarcastic remark to the bad guys they had faced – he snorted at how childish that sounded – or even reprimanding Tyson or Daichi for choking on their food. She'd always had her own outlook on everything, and he wondered what she saw now as she looked up at him.

_It was definitely one of the guys! _Hilary thought, mentally raising a fist in triumph as if she had solved some great mystery. But then she sighed, the little person inside her head tilting her head in thought. _Or maybe not. Maybe Kai just misplaced it…_

She nodded to that, thinking of all the different sides to the story.

Suddenly, she heard the dual-haired man give a sigh. Turning back her attention to the phoenix, she watched as he silently slid in through the open door, walking past her and into the living room, taking a seat on the cushion that sat in the middle of the room. He gave her a small nod in greeting, the way he always did, and shadows of a ripped up training poster flashed through her mind before it disappeared again. She blinked.

"Hey, Kai," she greeted, giving a small wave before pulling her jacket closer to her body, the winds from outside making her shiver. "Pretty cold outside, huh?" she asked, remembering his missing scarf and how much colder it must've been for him. _Well, _she thought. _I got him the perfect gift then. _She grinned at him.

He raised an eyebrow, her cheery features surprising him just a _little. _From what he remembered, she hadn't been this cheery when he had saw her the other day, and he wondered what was the cause for the sudden brightness in her face.

"Hn." It was the only thing he could think to say.

Hilary shook her head, realizing the dual-haired man probably wouldn't say anything more. "Well, I'd better get going." She gave a small sigh, and wondered when she had picked up Tyson's habit of procrastinating. "If you don't mind, tell the guys that I've gotta get home. Homework to do." She pointed to the presents lying in the corner, causing him to follow her finger to where she was pointing, before he turned back and gave her a blank look of confusion – she wasn't sure how she knew, she just could tell – and raised an eyebrow. She grinned at his look. "And no peeking before Christmas Day!" She raised a menacing fist that didn't match the look on her face at all. "Or else!"

He smirked at her statement, the threat being a hollow one, but decided not to comment.

She turned on her heel, exiting through the door and sliding it closed behind her.

Silence overcame the room, and Kai relaxed in his cushiony seat, closing his weary eyes and soaking in the quiet atmosphere.

"Grandpa!" Twin voices yelled from behind the corner, instantly causing Kai's mahogany eyes to fly open in surprise as three people came crashing down into the living room, their limbs in a tangle.

Tyson pushed Daichi's groping hand out of his face, glancing up at Grandpa Kinomiya - the old man being fully satisfied at being held up by the two boys – and giving him an exasperated look. "Why'd you have to swing at _both _of us? Why not just Daichi? He's the better target!"

"Hey!"

Kai shook his head, gently messaging his aching temples as he watched the exchange, but smirked at the three people in front of him as they tried to untangle themselves from each other, their energy unlimited.

Rei was wrong. If it was like this, he preferred quantity over quality.


	8. Part: VIII

**Title: **_Chinese For Two_  
**Pairing/Characters: **Kai/Hilary  
**Rating: **T  
**Disclaimer: **Beyblade © Aoki Takao-sama

* * *

**Chinese For Two**

**Part: VIII**

**

* * *

**A muffled groan slipped through the once quiet air, penetrating the silence that once hung in the small, cramped apartment that the brunette adorned.

"No more egg rolls." The things were evil, and she could swear on it. Her stomach felt like it would burst, making little noises every now and then, as if begging to make her stop the torture. She vaguely wondered if Tyson ever felt this sick before.

Hilary glanced at the carton of food that sat innocently next to her, the smell of vegetables and meat making its way to her nostrils, ultimately causing her to scowl at the devilish air it gave off. It was evil, the terrible little monsters that had entered her stomach. She had an overwhelming urge to just throw that carton's little minions right back at it. She wondered if it would make a face at her, before deciding it wasn't worth it.

There was a neat stack of papers that sat idly at her desk in the corner; almost as if happy it had been sorted out. Was this bad luck for stepping on her homework so much? Were they getting back at her for it? She couldn't recall how many times she had graced her math equations with her foot, though she was sure it had been a decent amount of times. They probably didn't like her very much now.

She gave a snort, mentally reminding herself that paper wasn't a living being – ignoring the thought of it once being a tree – and turned away from the carton, so as not to be lying on her sore stomach and instead falling lightly onto her side, now facing the smiling forms of the White Tigers.

In that moment, she thought of Rei's cooking, and decided that his cooking was always better than the food she had gotten from old man Chang's Restaurant. She wondered if it was the food itself, or her own doing with engulfing too much of the substance. If that were the case, she'd never get a chance to apologize to the egg rolls. They'd be eaten once her stomach felt less inclined to empty itself.

And with one jerk, Hilary was off the bed and into the bathroom, deciding she would blame the egg rolls for the moment.

* * *

Kai promptly decided that Mariah was weird. Whenever she would leave the room – and he would take note that such a thing occurred when he entered – he would let his leveled gaze meet with Rei, though the raven-haired neko-jin would simply give a small shrug and a shake of his head before going back to whatever business he had. 

He also found it particularly strange when he had found his teammates – _ex-teammates, _he reminded himself firmly – sitting together upon her bed, and he found himself glad that he really didn't know. And they had stared at him too. Almost as if _he _was the one who appeared strange, when _they _were the ones who were cuddling against Mariah's soft pink pillows without a thought.

The image remained in his skull, curving around his jumbled thoughts and squeezing until a stabbing headache formed. He let a wince hiss out through his clenched teeth, his hand coming up to rub at his sore temples. Perhaps he was forming a cold of some kind.

"Kai?" Rei's concerned voice rang out, seeming to echo off the wooden dojo walls. He looked up dejectedly at the neko-jin who stared at him with confused golden eyes. Rei came up next to his slouching form, his mouth set in a thin line as he questioned his old team captain. "What's the matter? You don't look so good."

He really didn't feel very good either. The ache in his head throbbed painfully, and with the way Rei was staring at him, he wondered just how much it was weighing down on him. "It's nothing," he responded, watching as the raven-haired youth gave him another look.

"Are you sure?" He brought a hand up to feel the old captain's forehead, though Kai immediately moved his head away to the side, letting the hand grasp air. He didn't need Rei to tell him anything. Sometimes, he decided, Rei was a lot like a mother hen.

"It's nothing," he said again, and this time, his reply was much firmer than before.

Rei shook his head as the dual-haired man stood, like he was trying to prove his point. Perhaps Kai thought of his concern as bothersome, but sometimes – and Rei was surprised how easily the thought came – Kai could act like a real child.

The way the dual-haired man would push his hand away, or deliberately move his head, it caused Rei to become more and more convinced that Kai was a child that wouldn't take advice from others – even if it was good for him. He could remember years back when he would give advice to them, but when it came down to things, Kai himself would never take advice that came from them, and it was the same as a little kid who didn't want to take his medicine.

Rei sighed, crossing his arms over his chest in an attempt to keep calm. "Fine. Just try to take things easy, okay? Tomorrow _is_ Christmas Eve, after all."

"Hn," Kai responded, giving the neko-jin a withering glance before a small scowl made its way to his face, and Rei knew it was because Kai knew he was right. He always did that when he knew he was wrong. So with a tentative voice, he said, "Whatever."

Rei grinned. He loosely noted that he felt strangely like a mother hen.

* * *

Pacing in her room, Mariah thought of the past few days. She had ignored Kai like the plague, even though she _knew _she didn't have to. The scarf was safe in her room, and the old team captain would never find out who had stolen his seemingly favorite accessory as long as she – or anyone else – didn't say anything. And as long as Kai never entered her room – which she knew was very unlikely to happen – it was fine. 

But that lingering uneasiness still clung to her like a leech – sucking her dry. It really weighed down on her nerves each time he came into the room, his eyes sharp and narrowed as always. She sometimes wondered how Rei and the others managed to not go crazy with Mr. Sourpuss always being a wet blanket.

"Um, Mariah?" Tyson called out to the still-pacing neko-jin girl. He wearily noted that the carpet underneath her feet would give out if she kept up her hot trail. "You alright over there?"

"Just fine!" she replied, her voice laden with sweetness that didn't comfort the teens at all. "Just thinking!"

"Must be some serious thinking…" Daichi commented, though earned a glower from the pink-haired girl, and promptly decided to not mention her noisy pounds on the floor, instead muttering, "Well, jeez, then…"

Max chuckled at the redheads words, though he had to agree with the younger blader. Mariah seemed a little too on edge for any of their comfort, the idea of sitting on her bed while she thought up plans for two people they knew could give them the most pain swimming around in their frazzled minds.

Kenny groaned inaudibly, pushing his face into his laptop. He knew it was nothing like an actual pillow, though he found the computer could give him more solace than anything else at the moment.

Mariah stopped in her wild movements, suddenly coming to a halt as she rounded on the four people sitting on her bed. "Well…" she started, watching their intent faces as they looked up at her. She almost felt like a drill sergeant at roll call, her troops ready to go out into battle, waiting for her commands and authority. Was this how Lee and Rei had felt like?

"You think of something?" Daichi asked, being more careful with the wording of his statement.

Mariah rubbed the back of her head, looking at each of them. "Well…" she said again, "Why don't we take a break from the plotting?" she suggested, breaking out into a sheepish, cat-like grin.

A collective groan ensued.

* * *

Trudging into the kitchen and into the bathroom of the Kinomiya dojo, Hilary followed Grandpa until he stopped and pulled out a chair for her, letting her body ease into the much appreciated seat. 

She felt guilty for barging in all of a sudden, though when she realized she couldn't find any traces of the stomach medicine she had placed somewhere – she _knew _it had to be _somewhere _in that place she called an apartment! – she knew that Grandpa would be kind enough to give her some medicine for her ailment. After all, it was just yesterday they were speaking of bugs and flu and whatnot.

"Can't believe ya got a bug, home girl! What'd we talk about yesterday, yo?" Grandpa pressed, moving through things Hilary didn't take time to acknowledge what they were in the cabinet that rested above the sink. "Hope ya won't be feelin' so low by tomorrow, ya know? It's Christmas Eve tomorrow. It'd be awful if ya were sick for that!"

Hilary's stomach wrenched and she grimaced softly at the pain that clamped down on her. "It should be fine. It's only a stomach bug, after all." She gazed up at his back as he continued to search for the medicine, and she sighed gently. "Thanks, Grandpa."

"Hmmm?" he replied, turning around to look at her with puzzled eyes. "What for, home girl?" he asked.

Hilary met his look with her own. She opened her mouth to speak, though closed it again, unable to. Perhaps it was a number of things. Perhaps he had done so much for her in the past – and she knew he _did_ – that she wasn't sure what she was thanking him for. Or perhaps it was a reflex, and she felt the need to be polite, since he was letting her borrow medicine she should be buying with her own money at a pharmacy. Or perhaps it was for everything. She wasn't really sure.

Noticing her look, and knowing what her silence meant, Grandpa gave a grin and a nod, before turning back to the matter at hand.

And Hilary found she knew what he meant, too.

* * *

"We'll be seeing you tomorrow, right, Kai?" Rei asked, looking at the old captain with curious golden eyes, pinning him with their gaze. 

"Hn," he replied, rolling his shoulder just to add to it. He wasn't sure why Rei was so interested in his plans, though it really wasn't unusual for the neko-jin, he supposed. "Maybe."

"Maybe?" Rei echoed.

Kai's eyes narrowed a fraction, his mouth twitching as it formed a thin line as he replied, "Yes, _maybe_."

Rei shrugged at the rather stony response, his raven colored bangs sweeping past his eyes as he shook his head. "Whatever you say, dude."

Kai decided not to comment, and instead tried to think back to the last time he had addressed him as 'dude'. Somewhere back in their blading days together, he could remember the young neko-jin using the term often, and now it felt like a dive into old memories that now seemed far off and foreign. But he remembered very well, and decided not to say anything about Rei's old habit of address.

Kai gave the young man a sidelong glance. "See you later."

Rei nodded. "Yeah." He was almost compelled to voice his opinions – that he had already decided about coming back tomorrow, that he would decide to not stay at his grandfather's old mansion, that he would spend the holiday with _them_. But he put the thought down, knowing that – and once again, it came surprisingly easy – Kai would act like a child, and deny it. So he settled with this.

Sliding the shoji open, letting it give a small screech, Kai slipped through, letting the cold air whip at his scarf less form.

* * *

"Rei?" Hilary asked as she came to stand next to the youth, which seemed to startle him as he whipped around to face her, his eyes slits and wide. "Why's it so cold?" she questioned softly, watching him with glazed ruby eyes. She sniffed. 

"Hilary?" he blinked. He wondered when she had come. He didn't remember seeing her earlier, or hear her entrance. "Wha-what are you doing here?" Seeing her eyes narrow, he gulped before quickly shaking his head and waving his arms. "I-it's just… I never heard you come in!" he rephrased, hoping that sounded better than the previous statement.

Hilary rubbed her temples lightly, a sigh escaping her lips. "Stupid egg rolls…" she muttered, the words sliding off her tongue and into the quiet air until the brunette could practically _feel _Rei's confusion.

"Egg rolls…?" Rei deadpanned.

Hilary's stomach involuntarily gave a flop, protesting with her whenever she ran a hand over it. She was beginning to feel nauseous, and Grandpa had told her to either get home and into bed, or to spend the night at the dojo. Knowing she had imposed enough, she decided to head home for the night. So after giving Mariah and the others a quick farewell, she had set about returning to her apartment.

Though when she saw Rei, she could feel the curiosity well up inside of her at his silent presence.

"Ugh…" She fumbled for words, before laying a hand on her stomach once again in a light rubbing motion. "Stomach bug…"

Dawning swept over his features like how the sun rose over a cliff. "Oh!" he said, before giving her a sympathetic grin. "Bet Gramps had something to say about that. Get better soon, okay?" he said, giving her shoulder a light pat.

She nodded, before wobbling over to the door. It was still early, the sun just beginning to set in the distance. She would've stopped to admire the sunset had her stomach not given her a complaint that caused her to wince. Said stomach churned, a light rumbling sound entering into her hearing range. To her, it made her feel even queasier. Hopefully she would make it back home before her innards decided they wanted to come out and see the sunset for themselves. "I will…" she pasted a tiny smile on her face, just to reassure him, and maybe even a little for herself as well. "See you later, Rei."

"Bye," Rei replied, waiting until she closed the shoji door, and once she did, Rei paused for a moment just to stare at the silent wall, before turning on his heel and making his way to Mariah's room.

He wondered if they had taken a break yet.

* * *

Hilary went about soothing her poor stomach, which seemed reluctant to settle down. 

Golden light poured down on her chestnut colored head as the sun went down into the earth further, the clouds tinted a beautiful pink-purple that seemed to sail through the sky.

She tried to twist her thoughts on something other than her gurgling stomach, latching onto whatever thought she could. In the corner of her mind's eye, she thought of the sea. It was wide and deep and blue and oh so majestic. And she could practically taste the salt that came with the tides as it washed up onto the shores.

There – that was a nice thought. She had always loved the ocean. She recalled that it had been a place where she and the boys had always went to when they trained. One of their favorites, she remembered.

There was a boy with long, blue hair – in a ponytail, she reminded herself – with blue eyes that twinkled with determination and bravery that would make her quake at his strong will that was practically that of a dragon's. He would jump in the sand, constantly trying to push himself, and she could see him smile as the sun rose over the horizon.

And there was a small boy whose chestnut colored hair resembled her own, with bangs so long that they covered his eyes, and glasses that didn't help either. Though when she thought about it, she could picture dark, brown eyes under the mass of hair. It seemed fitting. She could see his shy smile easily, though, as he sat on the bench and typed on his laptop as the clouds rolled over his head.

And then she could see another boy, whose blonde hair glistened like the sun, and whose eyes sparkled like the sea itself. With a bright smile that resembled that of a grinning turtle, she could practically hear his laugh on the waves as he jumped around with the boy whose smile you could see on the horizon.

Then on the other side of the beach, there was a boy – so many boys – whose long, almost wavy raven hair smelled of salt as it whipped through the air, constantly being caressed by invisible hands, and with golden eyes that shone orange and yellow at the same time when he grinned. And she could see him standing in the sand further up, where no water could touch him, and yin and yang were there as well, always tied to his forehead and resting with the certain pride that a tiger had.

And then there was one more boy. And she could barely see anything of him, though when she did, his mahogany eyes didn't look so sharp, and his mouth was a little more curved with whispers that ran through the long scarf and lapping up onto the beach itself. And it called like a bird, screeching as it soared in the sky, and she could practically see the bright red wings on his back.

And then she could see herself as well, though not as much as the others, because she realized she could see them better than anything. But as she fell closer and closer into the water, she could see everything clearly, and could feel the strong hand clasp around her own, and never had she felt more relieved to see such gorgeous wings…

Hilary's stomach latched again, and she thought it strange that she felt sea-sick. Of course, the more the waves rolled in her head, the more gurgling it brought to her.

"Hilary."

Turning her head in surprise, said girl looked up, ruby clashing with mahogany. "Kai…"

The dual-haired man raised an eyebrow at her faraway look, staying silent as she practically groaned his name.

"Hm…" Hilary twisted her head from side to side, though stopped when things began to swirl a little too much for comfort, the beginning of a headache not something she felt grateful for as she stood there. "…where are we?" She couldn't stop herself from asking the question. She knew it looked familiar, though she couldn't pinpoint the exact name of the place. Though the tall fence and sparkling fountain looked pretty nice…

Kai's other eyebrow rose as he heard her quiet question. She looked pale, and the glazed look in her eyes made him believe that she was sick. Perhaps she had taken a wrong turn, he thought, seeing as her apartment was on the _other side _of his grandfather's old mansion. And glancing behind her, and looking at which road she had come, he realized that that was indeed what she had done.

"Ugh…"

Kai looked back down at the sullen brunette, and felt slightly uneasy as she began to wobble over to the bushes on the side of the sidewalk.

"I'm going to be sick…"

And Kai turned his head away when that was exactly what she did.


	9. Final Part: IX

**Title: **_Chinese For Two_  
**Pairing/Characters: **Kai/Hilary  
**Rating: **T  
**Disclaimer: **Beyblade © Aoki Takao-sama  
**Author's Notes: **The Japanese celebrate Christmas, though they also go to school while on holiday… whoops.

The final part. Thanks for reading!

* * *

**Chinese For Two**

**Final Part: IX **

* * *

Hilary shook her head, taking a hand up to clutch her forehead as she rode out the dull aches of pain as her stomach rumbled with satisfied relief. She felt the waves of dizziness begin to wear off as she gripped her jacket tightly in her enclosed fist as more bile poured out of her mouth. 

She took a shuddering breath of air, her tongue moving around her teeth, and cringed as it caught the rancid taste in her mouth.

Kai turned his head over to watch the brunette, noticing that she had become quiet over at the bushes where she had let out her lunch. He shook his head, waiting for her to calm herself so that he could speak to her. He stuffed his hands in his pocket, and said, "Hilary."

There was pause, though he could see her wipe her mouth as she began to stand up, and almost instantly, she plastered a smile that didn't match her eyes. "Um… hey, Kai," she said, and she turned her head away from the tall young man. "I… um…" She blinked back the sudden tears of embarrassment that were brimming in her eyes. "I feel terrible." It was the only thing she could think to say in that moment.

"Perhaps you should get home. You don't look too good." Kai jabbed a thumb in the direction behind him, indicating the road that lead back to her apartment was not the one she had taken.

Hilary ran a hand through her knotted hair, feeling her cheeks flair up in frustration and even more embarrassment as her messy fingers caught the once clean strands. "Thanks for the concern!" she snapped, and she felt her still-upset stomach do a small flop before it settled down again. "Your analysis really helps, Kai."

The dual-haired teen stared at her with a flat look.

For a moment, the brunette just stared back, waiting for any kind of response from the stoic man that she had known for years. But he stood silently, staring her down with his narrowed mahogany eyes.

Hilary shivered and pulled her jacket tighter around her body as she felt the wind tug at her weary self. His silence seemed to do that, she noticed. It made her blood run cold and her usual fiery self turn into a small flicker compared to his flame. It unnerved her, and it made her frustration leap over the edge as she yelled at him.

"Well? Say something!" She felt loneliness strike her right then, watching the old team captain give her that look that told her she wasn't supposed to be there. "You never kept in contact with us after the team split up, and I want an answer!"

With a shake of his head, the look faded away and contained nothing more than irritation as he spoke. "You're welcome."

Hilary took a moment to consider his words, and she brought a hand up again to cradle her mouth. "What?" she asked, giving him a bewildered look.

He turned, his neck craning over to give her another blank stare. "You obviously have a cold. Come on before you get worse." With that, he continued on his way down the road in the direction of her apartment.

* * *

Grandpa Kinomiya gripped his kendo sword tightly, and promptly let out a small sigh of content as he heard the arguing voices of his grandson and his friends. 

_Those home bros really know how to have a party in there. _

With a grin pushing past his bushy moustache, he let a hearty laugh out as he opened the door, and charged with the kendo stick held high over his old head. He felt the adrenaline pump through his veins as he entered into the guest room, waiting to see the reaction his grandson would show.

The reaction was not one he expected, though, as the only words he could hear were being hurled at each other.

"Well, if you're so smart, why don't _you _think of something, Daichi? I'm sure we would love to hear your ideas!" Mariah spat, golden eyes narrowed into slits as she glared at the redhead, who was currently sticking his tongue out at her with his own displeased look aimed at the girl.

"It's _you're _fault! What's the point of this anyways? How am I supposed to think of something when it's not even my plan?" Daichi gave a snort as Tyson intervened, his hands waving frantically as if it would calm the sparks that were crackling between the two.

"Hey, now! Come on, guys. No fighting. I'm sure we can-"

"She started it! If it wasn't for her crazy pacing I wouldn't have had to throw my shoe at her! Stay out of it!"

"Why, you little runt!" Tyson snarled, his face red from anger as he tried to catch the redhead, though he ducked out of the blunette's hold and quickly latched onto his arm with a swing. "Monkey Boy!"

"Ahh! Just be _quiet _already, you guys!" Kenny called, fisting his dark brown hair and giving it a pull as he brought his head down onto his laptop, giving a grumble as he watched his friends bicker. "I don't even know why I agreed to this! It's none of our business what Kai and Hilary are doing for the holiday! Why can't we just let _them _work it out?" Kenny let out an exasperated sigh as all eyes turned to look at him. "_Thank _you!"

Rei and Max sat near the corner of the bed, giving a quirk of their eyebrow or a blink every now and then as they waited for what was to come next. The scene in front of them was almost comical, though the reason behind it made them keep their mouths shut.

"Yo, dudes!" This time, Grandpa took the chance to let everyone know he was standing by the doorway. "Show your elders some respect, here! Take a break and cool down from this little fiasco, yo! The home-girl and the K-man are coming over tomorrow, remember? Dunno what all the fighting's about, but buck up! It's almost time for dinner, so pack away the ugliness, ya dig?" With a heave of his kendo sword, Grandpa Kinomiya kept it mere inches away from the dragon avatar and the redhead. "If ya're gonna call them peeps, ya better do it now before it gets too late!"

Tyson blinked, pulling Daichi's hands off from the back of his neck so he could give his grandfather a straighter look. "Uh… are you okay there, gramps?" He blinked, along with a few others as he stuttered, "W-wha? D-did you say Kai and Hil are coming tomorrow?" His arms flared about as he voiced his confusion. "How the heck did you find that out!"

"Easy, dude!" Grandpa responded, scratching at his chin as he brought the sword over his shoulder and held it there, giving the group a flat look. "Ya _invite _'em!" With a satisfied smile, he gave both his grandson and Daichi a pat on the shoulder. "I'll see you dudes in half an hour!" Turning on his heels, the old kendo master made his way out of the room, letting the beginning of a Christmas carol spring forth from his lips just as the door was shut.

Rei shook his head. The old captain had given him such a vague answer, that he almost wondered if his coming over was supposed to be a secret that had just been let loose by the hip oldster.

Mariah slumped, taking hold of one of her pillows and burrowing her head within it as she ground out a sigh. She felt disappointment well up inside of her as she realized that, despite her efforts, it hadn't done a thing. She crawled to the edge of her bed, and brought out the scarf while letting it lie lifelessly in her arms as she realized there was no more reason to keep it, and thought of the brunette while letting a reluctant smile stretch across her features.

"Who are we calling first?"

* * *

The room was cleaner than it had been before, Kai noticed as he stepped foot into the silent apartment room. It radiated nothing of the brunette he had known those couple of years ago; though he supposed that the girl in front of him radiated nothing of the brunette he had known either. 

The anger she had shown earlier that night gave him a glimpse of the old person, though, and for the first time in awhile, Kai felt he was able to call her Hilary again. He felt the old sensation like when they had been searching for the lighthouse on that creepy island – loyalty, protectiveness, duty – and it all swirled and meshed together into something he could only identify as care and devotion to the brunette who had shown him the same thing in the team's earlier days together.

It was the same now. He supposed it was only right.

Kai leaned against the wall, folding his arms over his chest as he watched the brunette – Hilary, his mind told him – unconsciously pull at her jacket sleeve as she waited for him to say something – anything – that would tell her it wouldn't be a repeat of earlier that night.

Hilary winced as she remembered her words. It had been awhile since she had snapped at anyone lately, and Kai being the one to see her puke into the bushes hadn't helped her frustrations at all. He had been the only one there besides her in that cold and lonely little world, and in those few moments, she had gotten defensive, had let out her thoughts and her anger for him.

He still hadn't given her an answer.

"Thanks for this, Kai," Hilary muttered, pushing down the disappointment that was welling up in her breast. She looked up at him, and almost blinked. He looked tired with his tousled hair and black-rimmed eyes. And for the moment, Hilary took in his thin and scarf-less form, and never before had she ever thought the man to be as frail or gaunt as she did now. "You don't look too good," she commented.

A half-hearted smirk pulled across the young man's face as he took in her words. "Thank you for the concern," was the answer.

Time seemed to stop and go as it wished as the moment grew even more similar to another.

Hilary gave the tall man in front of her a small smile, and silently decided she could wait a little longer for the answer. Shuffling over into her small kitchen that was barely used for cooking, Hilary brought out two bowls and sat them on the counter, giving the staring dual-haired man a glance. "Don't just stand there! Come help me!" Washing her hands and face, she wet a towel and rung her brown tresses with it, hoping it would help her to look a little more presentable than before.

Kai turned his look to the bowls on the counter, before giving a small shake of his head, his bangs falling limply into his sharp eyes. "It's not necessary."

"Of course it is!" Hilary replied, pulling soup from out of the cabinet along with a couple other kitchen items she apparently needed. "You're already here, and I won't take no for an answer, mister! And you need more than ramen noodles." She couldn't remember the last time she had cooked her spicy meals like this, and it was almost refreshing, she realized. It was time to get back on the bike. "Hurry up!"

Kai shot her a glare, not particularly pleased she was giving him an order in such a way, before letting himself push his body off the wall to head over into the kitchen to give the girl a hand.

* * *

Handing him the bowl of soup – she felt giddy in knowing she had used her old family recipe – Hilary waited for him to take a bite. 

As the hot food went down his throat, Kai resisted the urge to screw his face up as the spicy liquid began to heat up in his chest and spread throughout his entire body as he carefully sipped a couple more bites.

"Do you like it? It's a family recipe!" Hilary said with a certain pride in her voice, and Kai could do nothing but indulge himself in the fact that she acted like the person he once knew from before. The dullness in her eyes seemed to have disappeared for the moment, and he hoped it would stay that way. He hated the thought of someone he had once respected and admired turning weak and limp in spirit – it wasn't her.

"It's fine."

She seemed to accept that answer, although a little reluctant, before returning to her own meal, taking small sips so as not to upset her stomach again.

And almost as if it decided then was right, the phone rang a couple times, the drone of it shattering through the once peaceful mood, before Tyson's voice sounded out after the recorder's small beep was heard.

"_Hey, Hil? You there? Just calling to say hi! Grandpa said to remind you about tomorrow, so… remember!" _Voices could be heard in the background, each overlapping as they tried to get their word in. _"Okay! Okay! Geez… now to call Mr. Sourpuss and remind him…see you later, Hil! Bye!"_ There was a slight buzz as the red light appeared on the recording machine, showing that there was a new message.

"Hn," Kai snorted, deciding not to comment any further on it.

Hilary let a smile tug at her lips in amusement as she watched the man next to her arch an eyebrow. Tomorrow, Hilary decided, she would give him her gift.

They took another bite.


End file.
